New Delhi, July 13: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) carried out a fresh round of raids as part of its ongoing investigation into a terrorist conspiracy case in Jammu and Kashmir. The agency targeted the premises of hybrid terrorists and Overground Workers (OGWs) associated with Pakistan-backed banned organizations and their affiliates.
According to the NIA, some newly-formed outfits such as The Resistance Front (TRF), a shadow organization of Lashkar-e-Taiba, have been issuing threats of carrying out attacks in J&K through social media channels.
The raids were conducted at five locations in the districts of Shopian, Awantipora, and Pulwama. The NIA also targeted sympathizers and members of newly-formed outfits, including 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. These outfits are affiliated with banned Pakistan-backed organizations such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Al-Badr, Al-Qaeda, and others.
During the raids, the NIA seized several digital devices containing substantial incriminating data. The focus on Overground Workers (OGWs) highlights their crucial role in the terror ecosystem in the Kashmir Valley, which is being dismantled through continuous operations. OGWs, also known as hybrid terrorists, provide support to militants and terrorists operating from Pakistan.
The NIA had initiated the investigation on June 21, 2022, to probe the involvement of cadres and OGWs from various outfits in spreading terror-related activities in J&K. These individuals have been engaged in the collection and distribution of sticky bombs, magnetic bombs, IEDs, funds, narcotics, and weapons. The agency’s investigations have revealed the use of social media platforms by operatives based in Pakistan to promote terrorism. Drones have also been employed to deliver arms, ammunition, explosives, and narcotics to operatives and cadres in the Kashmir valley.
The terror conspiracy involves planning by banned outfits to carry out violent attacks in J&K using sticky bombs, IEDs, and small arms in both physical and cyber spaces. These organizations, with the support of their handlers in Pakistan, aim to radicalize local youth, mobilize overground workers, and disrupt peace and communal harmony in J&K.
