The National Investigation Agency (NIA) carried out a series of raids in four districts of Kashmir on Monday as part of its ongoing investigation into the plot by newly-formed factions of Pakistan-backed terrorist groups to destabilize Jammu and Kashmir.
As part of the operation, 12 locations in the districts of Kulgam, Bandipora, Shopian, and Pulwama were raided. The targets of the raids were residential properties belonging to hybrid terrorists and Overground Workers associated with the recently established factions and affiliates of banned terrorist organizations. The premises of sympathizers and members of these groups were also thoroughly searched during the operation.
During the raids, the NIA seized several digital devices containing significant incriminating data. The agency will carefully examine this evidence to uncover details about the terrorist conspiracy that has been under investigation for the past year. The NIA initiated the investigation on June 21, 2022, by registering a suo motu case.
The newly emerged terror outfits being probed by the NIA 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 groups have affiliations with Pakistan-backed organizations such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Al-Badr, Al-Qaeda, which have been banned by the Government of India.
The individuals targeted in the raids are suspected by the NIA of being involved in the procurement and distribution of sticky bombs/magnetic bombs, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), funds, narcotics, and weapons. The investigations indicate that they have been engaged in activities aimed at promoting terrorism, violence, and subversion in Jammu and Kashmir.
The investigations have also revealed that operatives, based in Pakistan, were utilizing social media platforms to facilitate terrorism. Drones were employed to transport arms, ammunition, explosives, narcotics, and other materials to their operatives and members in the Kashmir valley.
The ongoing investigation focuses on a terror conspiracy that involves planning by the banned outfits in both physical and cyberspace. Their objective is to carry out violent terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir using methods such as sticky bombs, IEDs, and small arms. These organizations, backed by their masters in Pakistan, have been conspiring to incite acts of terror and violence by radicalizing local youth and mobilizing overground workers in order to disrupt peace and communal harmony in Jammu and Kashmir.