NIA raids underway in Jammu & Kashmir as crackdown on terror network continues

Srinagar: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday carried out coordinated searches at multiple locations across Kashmir, including Handwara in north Kashmir and Kulgam in the south, in connection with an ongoing terror-related investigation.

Sources said that in Handwara, NIA teams raided the residence of a businessman in the Guloora area. Officials conducted extensive searches on the premises, examining documents and electronic devices suspected to be linked to the case. The operation was still underway when reports last came in.

Simultaneously, similar raids were carried out at several locations in Kulgam district, with teams conducting searches as part of what officials described as a broader crackdown on terror networks and their support systems.

While the NIA has not issued statement on the specific case till this report was filed, sources indicated that the case is linked to ongoing efforts to trace terror financing channels, identify over-ground workers (OGWs), and gather evidence related to militant activities in the Valley.

The latest raids come amid a sustained campaign by the NIA and other security agencies to dismantle the terror ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir.

Since 2017, the NIA has significantly expanded its footprint in the region, focusing not only on active militants but also on the networks that support them.

This shift followed the 2016 unrest, after which agencies began targeting separatist funding, hawala transactions, and local facilitators accused of providing logistics, shelter and recruitment support to militant groups.

A series of high-profile raids and arrests over the years have led to the registration of multiple terror funding and conspiracy cases.

In recent years, the NIA has conducted large-scale, multi-district searches targeting suspected OGWs and hybrid militants, as well as individuals allegedly linked to Pakistan-based handlers. Investigations have also pointed to the use of platforms, encrypted messaging apps and drones for coordination, recruitment and delivery of arms and explosives.

Officials say the sustained crackdown has weakened the support infrastructure that once enabled militancy to sustain itself in urban pockets, pushing many militants to operate from forested areas and rely on smaller, decentralised modules.

However, agencies maintain that the threat persists in evolving forms, necessitating continued surveillance and targeted operations such as Monday’s raids.

The searches in Handwara and Kulgam are part of this ongoing strategy aimed at identifying and dismantling residual terror networks and preventing regrouping attempts in the Valley.