SRINAGAR: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday raided the premises of several suspected LeT overground workers (OGWs) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir in connection with the January 2023 attack in Dhangri village of Rajouri district, in which five civilians were killed and several others injured.
“Raids were conducted today at five locations across Gursai village of Mendhar tehsil in Poonch district,” an NIA spokesperson said in a statement. “NIA teams made extensive searches at the locations, which were the residential premises of OGWs linked with LeT, a proscribed terrorist outfit.”
Several digital devices and documents containing incriminating data and content were seized during the searches. These are being scrutinized to unravel the conspiracy behind the attack.
Two accused, Nisar Ahmed alias Haji Nisar and Mushtaq Hussain, were arrested by the NIA in the case on August 31, 2023. They are currently lodged in Central Jail, Kot Bhalwal, Jammu. Disclosures made by these two men, along with inputs gathered by the NIA, led to Saturday’s raids.
NIA investigations have revealed that both the arrested accused had harbored the terrorists who carried out the deadly attack. They had provided logistics support to the terrorists for more than two months and had sheltered them in a hideout that they had built.
The duo, as per the investigations, had been operating on the directions of Pakistan-based LeT handlers, namely Saifullah alias Said Jutt, Abu Qatal alias Qatal Sindhi, and Mohd. Qasim.
The attack case was initially registered at the Rajouri police station under sections 302/307/120-B/452/323 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC); sections 13/16/18 of UA (P) Act 1967; and sections 7/27 of Arms Act.
The NIA took over and re-registered the case on January 13, and is carrying out further investigations.