The National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted a series of raids on Thursday as part of its ongoing investigations into the Jammu and Kashmir terrorist conspiracy case. The raids targeted hybrid terrorists and Overground Workers (OGWs) associated with the outfits and affiliates of Pakistan-backed banned terrorist organizations, according to a press release by the NIA.
The NIA’s operations focused on newly-floated outfits, including The Resistance Front (TRF), which is believed to operate as a shadow organization of Lashkar-e-Taiba. The TRF and similar outfits have been issuing threats of carrying out attacks in the Jammu and Kashmir region through social media platforms, as claimed by the NIA.
Five locations in the districts of Shopian, Awantipora, and Pulwama were subjected to raids by the NIA. The premises of sympathizers and cadres of recently formed 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, and others were also targeted. These outfits are said to have affiliations with various banned Pakistani-backed organizations, including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Al-Badr, and Al-Qaeda, according to the NIA press release.
During the raids, the NIA reportedly recovered several digital devices containing substantial volumes of incriminating data. The agency highlighted the role of Overground Workers (OGWs), also referred to as hybrid terrorists, in supporting militants and terrorists based in Pakistan. The NIA’s findings once again underscore the significance of dismantling the terror ecosystem in the Valley, the press release stated.
The NIA had initiated a suo moto case (RC-05/2022/NIA/JMU) on 21st June 2022 to investigate the involvement of cadres and Overground Workers (OGWs) associated with various outfits in spreading activities related to terror, violence, and subversion in Jammu and Kashmir, as mentioned in the NIA press release. The individuals under investigation have allegedly been engaged in activities such as the collection and distribution of sticky bombs/magnetic bombs, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), funds, narcotic substances, and arms/ammunitions.
The NIA’s investigations have revealed the alleged use of social media platforms by Pakistan-based operatives to promote acts of terror. Additionally, the NIA claimed that drones were being used to deliver arms, ammunition, explosives, narcotics, and other illicit materials to operatives and cadres within the Kashmir valley.
According to the NIA, the terrorist conspiracy being investigated involves plotting by banned outfits in both physical and cyber spaces. The objective of these organizations, allegedly supported by their counterparts in Pakistan, is to carry out violent attacks in Jammu and Kashmir using means such as sticky bombs, IEDs, small arms, and other methods. The NIA press release stated that these organizations aim to radicalize local youth and mobilize overground workers to disrupt peace and communal harmony in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Chenab Times News Desk