The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday cracked down once again on the newly-floated offshoots of proscribed Pakistan-backed terrorist outfits operating in Jammu and Kashmir by conducting raids at five locations in the three districts.
The locations searched included Anantnag, Shopian and Pulwama in the Kashmir valley. The agency claimed to have seized several digital devices containing massive incriminating data in these raids.
The anti-terror agency said it raided the residential premises of hybrid terrorists and Overground Workers (OGWs) linked with the newly-formed offshoots and affiliates of several banned Kashmiri terrorist outfits.The newly floated terror outfits under investigation include The Resistance Front (TRF), United Liberation Front Jammu & Kashmir (ULFJ&K), Mujahideen Gazwat-ul-Hind (MGH), Jammu and Kashmir Freedom Fighters (JKFF), Kashmir Tigers, PAAF and others. These outfits are affiliated to major banned terrorist organisations like Laskhar-e-Toiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) and Al-Badr, Al-Qaeda.
“The premises of sympathisers and cadres of these organisations were also raided,” said the NIA, adding “all these cadres and workers are being investigated for activities relating to terror, violence and subversion in Jammu and Kashmir.”
The NIA said it suspects the involvement of these cadres in the collection and distribution of sticky bombs, magnetic bombs, Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), funds, narcotic substances and arms and ammunitions.
The agency said the raids are linked to “the J-K terror conspiracy case”, which was registered suo moto by it on June 21 last year.”It relates to a physical and online conspiracy by the banned terror organisations to launch a series of violent terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir with sticky bombs, IEDs and small arms. The Pakistan-backed outfits are also engaged in radicalizing local youth and mobilizing overground workers, to disturb peace and communal harmony in Jammu and Kashmir,” said the NIA.
As per NIA investigations, Pak-based operatives behind the conspiracy were using various social media platforms to spread terror among the people.”They were also using drones to deliver arms and ammunition, explosives and narcotics to their agents and cadres in the Kashmir valley.”