NIA conducts raids against terror outfits in Kashmir

SRINAGAR: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday conducted raids at nine locations across Kashmir in a significant operation targeting Pakistan-based militant organizations and their affiliates. Assisted by Jammu and Kashmir Police and CRPF, the raids took place early in the morning and lasted for several hours.

The targeted locations included the residences of individuals such as Mountain Valley editor Imtiyaz Ahmad Bazaz in Batmaloo, Revlon Cosmetics marketing agent Muzamil Shafi Khan in Qalamdan Pora, Nawa Bazar, Tawheed Ahmad Dar in Methan, Mohammad Ayub Dar in Dar Mohalla, Rawalpora, Khalida Yusuf in Shalla Kadal, Habba Kadal (wife of a police constable), and Basharat Mushtaq in Barbar Shah Srinagar. Khalida Yusuf’s cell phone was confiscated, and she was taken to Police Station Shaheed Gunj Srinagar.

According to a statement by the NIA, the raids yielded digital devices containing significant amounts of incriminating data and documents. The operations targeted individuals associated with newly-formed offshoots and affiliates of banned terrorist organizations like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Al-Badr, Al-Qaeda, among others.

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The statement further explained that the crackdown was part of the investigation into case RC-05/2022/NIA/JMU, initiated by the agency suo moto on June 21, 2022. This case pertains to a terror conspiracy involving plans by these organizations and their offshoots to carry out violence in Jammu and Kashmir using sticky bombs, IEDs, and small arms.

The NIA emphasized that these organizations, supported by their Pakistan-based leaders, have been actively conspiring, both physically and online, to disrupt peace and communal harmony in Jammu and Kashmir by radicalizing local youth and mobilizing the Over Ground Workers.

“The groups comprise The Challenge Front (TCF), Unified Freedom Front Jammu & Kashmir (UFF J&K), Warriors of God’s Victory (WGV), Jammu & Kashmir Freedom Fighters (JKFF), Kashmir Lions, PAAF, and others. These entities are associated with the prohibited terrorist organizations and were established as front organizations to pursue the malicious agenda of the primary militant groups following the government of India’s ban,” it stated.

The statement additionally mentioned that the electronic devices and other information seized during the searches are being examined to uncover and dismantle the entire plot.