NIA raids 13 locations in J&K in terror funding case

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday conducted raids at thirteen locations belonging to alleged terrorist outfits and their offshoots operating in the Kashmir valley to disrupt peace by spreading terror, violence and subversion.

The agency conducted raids in Anantnag, Srinagar, Pulwama, Shopian and Budgam districts of Kashmir, and seized incriminating material, documents.

"The NIA launched extensive searches at thirteen locations of sympathisers, hybrid terrorists and overground workers (OGWs) linked with the newly-formed offshoots and affiliates of several proscribed Pak-backed terror organisations, including Laskhar-e-Toiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Al-Badr, Al-Qaeda," said the official.

The official said that the raids were part of the ongoing investigations of the NIA in the terror conspiracy case, involving the activities of OGWs and cadres in support of various newly-launched outfits, such as The Resistance Front (TRF), United Liberation Front Jammu & Kashmir (ULFJ&K), Mujahideen Gazwat-ul-Hind (MGH), Jammu & Kashmir Freedom Fighters (JKFF), Kashmir Tigers, PAAF, among others.

Besides terrorist and violent activities, these cadres and workers were found involved in collection and distribution of sticky bombs, magnetic bombs, IEDs, funds, narcotics and arms, ammunition.

The NIA investigations revealed that Pak-based operatives were involved in delivery of arms, explosives and narcotics to these cadres and workers in Kashmir valley via drones.

"Social media platforms were also being widely used by the operatives across the border to connect with OGWs and cadres in Kashmir," the official said.

The NIA registered this case on June 21, 2022. The case was lodged based on the information related to conspiracy and plans, hatched physically as well in cyberspace, by these proscribed terrorist organisations. The conspirators aimed to unleash violent terrorist attacks in J&K with sticky bombs, IEDs and small arms etc, as part of a larger conspiracy to commit acts of terror and violence by radicalising local youth and mobilising and deploying overground workers.

In this case, the NIA has as of now conducted 70 search operations in the matter.