NIA raids 5 places in J-K's three district in terror conspiracy case

New Delhi [India], July 13 : As part of its ongoing investigations in the Jammu and Kashmir terrorist conspiracy case, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday conducted another round of raids at the premises of hybrid terrorists and Overground Workers (OGWs) of the outfits and affiliates of Pakistan-backed banned terrorist organisations.

Raids were conducted at five locations in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian, Awantipora and Pulwama districts.

The places searched include the premises of sympathisers and cadres of the newly floated outfits, namely The Resistance Front (TRF), United Liberation Front Jammu and Kashmir (ULFJ&K), Mujahideen Gazwat-ul-Hind (MGH), Jammu and Kashmir Freedom Fighters (JKFF), Kashmir Tigers, PAAF and others.

These outfits are affiliated with various banned Pakistan-backed organisations like Laskhar-e-Toiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Al-Badr and Al-Qaeda

Some of these newly-floated outfits, The Resistance Front (TRF), a shadow organisation of Lashkar-e-Taiba, have been found issuing threats of carrying out attacks in Jammu and Kashmir over social media, the NIA official said.

Several digital devices containing large volumes of incriminating data were recovered by the NIA during the searches, which have once again put the spotlight on OGWs as an important part of the terror ecosystem in the Valley, which is being dismantled on a continuous basis.

Also known as hybrid terrorists, the anti-terror agency said, the OGWs provide support to militants and terrorists based in Pakistan.

The NIA had registered a suo moto case on June 21 last year to investigate the involvement of the cadres and OGWs of the various outfits in spreading activities relating to terror, violence and subversion in Jammu and Kashmir.

"These cadres and workers have been involved in the collection and distribution of sticky bombs, magnetic bombs, Improvised Explosive Devices, funds, narcotic substances and arms and ammunitions."

The NIA investigations have revealed that Pak-based operatives were using social media platforms to promote terror.

"Drones were being used by them to deliver arms and ammunition, explosives and narcotics to their operatives and cadres in the Kashmir valley," the NIA said.

The terror conspiracy relates to plotting by the banned outfits in both physical and cyberspace to unleash violent terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir with sticky bombs, IEDs and small arms.

"The organisations, supported by their masters in Pakistan, have been conspiring to commit acts of terror and violence, by radicalizing local youth and mobilizing overground workers, to disturb peace and communal harmony in Jammu and Kashmir," the agency added.