A week after similar state-wide searches, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday raided 16 locations in Jammu and Kashmir in a case related to hatching of a conspiracy and plans by militants to execute violent attacks in J&K, officials said.
The searches were conducted in the premises of cadres and “hybrid” militants and overground workers (OGWs) linked with the newly-formed offshoots and affiliates of several major banned Pak-backed militant outfits, the NIA spokesperson said.
The raids 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.
The NIA has been investigating the activities of newly floated militant 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, People's Anti-Fascist Front (PAAF) and others.
"These outfits are affiliated to Laskhar-e-Toiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Al-Badr and Al-Qaeda," the NIA said.
The NIA said Tuesday’s raids, conducted at a total of 16 locations (12 in the Kashmir Valley and four in Jammu division), 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," the NIA said.
NIA had earlier, on May 2, 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, 2022.
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.