NIA raids 16 locations across Jammu and Kashmir

Continuing its crackdown on separatists and militants, the National Investigation Agency on Tuesday conducted raids at 16 locations across Jammu and Kashmir in the premises of cadres and hybrid militants and overground workers linked with the newly-formed offshoots and affiliates of banned Pak-backed terror outfits.

The raids, in the terror conspiracy case, were continuing till late in the evening. They were spread across locations in Anantnag, Srinagar, Budgam, Shopian, Kulgam and Baramulla districts of Kashmir, as well as in Poonch, Rajouri and Kishtwar districts of Jammu, said an NIA spokesman, in a statement.

He said probe agency has been investigating the activities of newly floated terrorist groups, such as "The Resistance Front (TRF)", "United Liberation Front Jammu & Kashmir (UL J&K)", "Mujahideen Gazwat-ul-Hind (MGH)", “Jammu & Kashmir Freedom Fighters (JKFF)”, “Kashmir Tigers”, PAAF and others.

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These outfits are affiliated to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Al-Badr, Al-Qaeda, the statement said. Tuesday’s raids were part of NIA’s investigations into the activities of OGWs and cadres in support of these new terror outfits.

“These cadres and workers have been found involved in collection and distribution of sticky bombs/magnetic bombs, IEDs, cash, drugs and small weapons, as well as in spreading activities relating to terror, violence and subversion in J&K. Investigations have further revealed that Pak-based operatives were using drones to deliver weapons, bombs, drugs etc. to their operatives and cadres in the Kashmir valley,” it said.

Earlier on May 2 the NIA had conducted raids at 12 locations in Jammu and Kashmir, leading to the seizure of incriminating material and digital devices, in the terror conspiracy case it had registered suo motu on June 21 last year.

“The case (RC-05/2022/NIA/JMU) related to the hatching of a conspiracy, both physical and cyber space, and plans by the proscribed terrorist organisations to unleash violent terrorist attacks in J&K with sticky bombs, IEDs and small arms. The plans are part of a larger conspiracy by these terrorist outfits to commit acts of terror and violence, in association with local youth/overground workers, to disturb peace and communal disharmony in J&K,” the NIA statement added.