Srinagar: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday raided at five locations in the three districts of South Kashmir’s Anantnag, Shopian and Pulwama against ‘newly-floated offshoots’ including "Hybrids" and OGWs of proscribed militant outfits operating in Jammu and Kashmir’.
In a statement, NIA said that raids were conducted at five locations in the three districts of Anantnag, Shopian and Pulwama in the Kashmir valley, and several digital devices containing massive “incriminating data" were seized.
"The locations raided today were residential premises of hybrid militants and Overground Workers (OGWs) linked with the newly-formed offshoots and affiliates of several banned Kashmiri militant outfits. Premises of sympathisers and cadres of these organisations were also raided."
"All these cadres and workers are being investigated for activities relating to terror, violence and subversion in J&K. NIA suspects their involvement in the collection and distribution of sticky bombs/magnetic bombs, IEDs, funds, narcotic substances and arms/ammunitions", reads the statement.
"The J&K terror conspiracy case (RC-05/2022/NIA/JMU) was registered suo moto by NIA on 21st June 2022. It relates to a physical and online conspiracy by the banned terror organisations to launch a series of violent militant attacks in J&K with sticky bombs, IEDs and small arms etc. The Pakistan-backed outfits are also engaged in radicalizing local youth and mobilizing overground workers, to disturb peace and communal harmony in J&K."
"The newly floated militant outfits under investigation include 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 to major banned militant organisations like Laskhar-e-Toiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Al-Badr, Al-Qaeda, etc", reads the statement further.
NIA is a specialised law enforcement organisation that fights terrorism. Under a signed decree from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the agency has the authority to handle the investigation of terrorism-related offences across states without the need for special consent from States.
(GNS)
