NIA raids 16 locations in Kashmir in ISIS, IED cases

The National investigation agency (NIA) swooped down in Kashmir on Sunday and carried out multiple raids in connection with ‘ISIS-Voice of Hind’ and the ‘Bathindi IED recovery’ cases.

Reports said the premier probe agency sleuths accompanied by J&K police and CRPF personnel conducted raids at 16 locations in Srinagar, Anantnag, Kulgam, Baramulla and Sopore in connection with the two cases.

Sources said the raids were carried out at nine locations in connection with an alleged conspiracy of the international terrorist organisation ISIS to radicalise and recruit youth to wage war against India. They added that NIA sleuths seized mobile phones, laptops and other electronic gadgets from the suspects during these raids.

The initial investigation by the NIA has revealed that the ISIS terrorists operating from various conflict zones along with cadres in India, by assuming pseudo-online identities, have created a network wherein terror group’s propaganda material is disseminated.

The dreaded terror outfit has been releasing an online monthly India-centric magazine by the name of ‘Voice of Hind’ (VOH) since February 2020, which emerged as a fountainhead of large-scale radicalisation of Muslim youth in the Valley. Earlier on July 11, the NIA had carried out raids in Kashmir in a similar case and detained several suspects.

On Sunday raids were also conducted across seven locations in Srinagar, Sopore and Anantnag in the NIA's ongoing investigation into The Resistance Front (TRF), believed to be the frontal organization of Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) outfit.

Reports said TRF commander Sajjad Gul’s house was also raided in Srinagar. Gul is believed to be operating from Pakistan.

The TRF case pertains to the LeT militant arrested with 5 kg IED in Bhatindi in Jammu on June 27. The premier probe agency had carried out searches on September 21 this year at eight locations in J&K’s Anantnag, Baramulla, Kulgam, Srinagar, Doda and Kishtwar districts in the same case.

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