Multiple locations raided in 7 distts
*Engaged in transporting bombs, drugs
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, May 20: With a view to further dismantle terror infrastructure and target Over Ground Workers (OGWs) network of various outfits, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) today carried out raids at multiple locations in seven districts of Jammu and Kashmir and detained some persons for questioning while calling others to its office after few days for replying to a list of queries.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO
This month, the NIA has conducted series of raids in Jammu and Kashmir targeting militants, their OGW network, sympathizers, transporters of arms, ammunition and explosives including the consignments dropped through drones etc.
“While anti-militancy operations are being carried out by Army, paramilitary forces and Jammu and Kashmir Police; the NIA, SIA and SIU have been conducting raids to bust terror ecosystem which is involved in sustaining and fuelling militancy in different parts of the Union Territory,” official sources told the Excelsior.
The investigating agencies have succeeded to quite an extent in delivering blows to the militancy, they said.
The NIA today conducted extensive searches in Srinagar, Budgam, Pulwama, Shopian, Awantipora, Anantnag and Kupwara in Kashmir and Poonch district in Jammu division
In Surankote area of Poonch district, the NIA carried out raid at the residence of Amir Khan son of Abdul Qayoom at Upper Sangla in Ward No. 7. Amir Khan has been detained for questioning while his mobile telephones, electronic gadgets and some other materials have been seized from his house.
A number of OGWs in the twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri are on radar of NIA, SIA and SIU as there were reports that they could be helping the militants in carrying out terror acts.
Two terror attacks in Mendhar and Kandi areas of Poonch and Rajouri districts in which 10 Army soldiers were martyred couldn’t have been carried out without active support of local OGWs, sources said.
Meanwhile, an official statement issued by the NIA said the raids were conducted at more than a dozen places in connection with various cases related to members of the banned Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) and OGWs involved in conspiracies hatched by proscribed terrorist organisations and their affiliates.
The searches also focused on the terror funding case registered suo moto by the agency on February 5, 2021, the statement said, adding a large number of incriminating documents and digital devices were seized during the searches and were being scrutinised to track further links of the suspects.
The terror funding case pertains to the collection of funds by JeI (J&K) ostensibly for charitable purposes but used instead for promotion of terror activities by proscribed terrorist organisations such as Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) and Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT).
The NIA had earlier charge-sheeted four persons in the case, involving well-organised cadres of the terrorist outfits operating in Jammu and Kashmir.
On June 21 last year, the NIA registered another case against various banned terrorist organisations and their newly floated affiliates.
“The case related to the conspiracies being hatched physically and in cyberspace by these outfits for carrying out violent terrorist attacks in J&K with sticky bombs, improvised explosive devices and small arms.
“The banned organisations and their affiliates have been engaged in conspiring to commit acts of terror and violence by radicalizing local youth and mobilizing over ground workers with the aim of disrupting the peace and communal harmony of J&K,” the statement said.
Continuing with its investigations in both these cases, the statement said, the NIA has been moving swiftly to take action against some of the recently launched affiliates of the banned terrorist organisations such as LeT, Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Al-Badr and Al-Qaeda.
Among the affiliates under the NIA scrutiny are The Resistance Front (TRF), United Liberation Front Jammu & Kashmir (ULFJ&K), Mujahideen Gazwat-ul-Hind (MGH), Jammu & Kashmir Freedom Fighters (JKFF), Kashmir Tigers and People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF).
The investigations so far have shown that cadres and workers of these outfits are involved in collection and distribution of sticky bombs, magnetic bombs, IEDs, funds, drugs and weapons and ammunition, as well as in spreading activities relating to terror, violence and subversion in Jammu and Kashmir.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
