NIA carries out raids to uncover fresh trail of Pakistan-backed terror conspiracy in Kashmir

Srinagar: In a sweeping crackdown on what investigators believe is a coordinated effort to reignite terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday carried out raids at 32 locations across the Valley.

The searches targeted suspected “hybrid terrorists” and overground workers (OGWs) allegedly linked to a network of shadowy outfits acting as fronts for proscribed Pakistan-based terror groups.

The multi-district operation marks the latest phase in an ongoing NIA probe into what officials describe as a “multi-pronged conspiracy” aimed at destabilising the region through radicalisation, narco-terrorism, and tech-enabled logistics.

In a statement a spokesperson of the NIA said 32 locations raided include the residences of individuals affiliated with groups such as The Resistance Front (TRF), United Liberation Front Jammu & Kashmir (ULFJ&K), Mujahideen Gazwat-ul-Hind (MGH), Kashmir Tigers, Jammu & Kashmir Freedom Fighters (JKFF), and PAAF — all seen as ideological or operational offshoots of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and Al-Badr.

Investigators believe these groups are being directed remotely by handlers based in Pakistan using encrypted messaging platforms and social media channels to recruit operatives, coordinate activities, and facilitate arms and drug smuggling via drones.

The NIA spokesperson said the searches yielded two live cartridges, one fired bullet head, and a bayonet, alongside digital devices containing large volumes of encrypted and potentially incriminating data. Forensic teams are now sifting through this material in a bid to decode the network’s digital architecture and funding patterns.

Investigations have revealed that Pak-based operatives were using social media / online apps to facilitate and promote terror. Drones were being used by them to deliver arms/ammunition, explosives, narcotics etc. to their operatives and cadres in the Kashmir valley.

Of particular concern to investigators is the growing phenomenon of hybrid militants — individuals who live ostensibly normal civilian lives while acting as sleeper agents or one-time operatives. These individuals often carry out attacks or assist in logistics and then melt back into society, making them difficult to track using traditional intelligence methods.

Sources within the agency suggest several individuals under investigation had no prior record and had only recently come under the radar after suspicious financial transactions, unusual online behavior, or foreign digital footprints were detected.