The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday raided 16 locations in Jammu and Kashmir in its latest crackdown on newly-formed militant offshoots, including The Resistance Front (TRF) and People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), which claimed the responsibility for the twin attacks in Rajouri that left 10 soldiers dead.
An NIA spokesman said the raids were carried out at 16 locations, 12 in the Kashmir Valley and four in the Jammu division, to investigate the activities of overground workers and cadres “involved in collection and distribution of sticky bombs and magnetic bombs, improvised explosive devices [IEDs], cash, drugs and small weapons”.
The raids continued till late Tuesday evening. The premises of several locals were searched in Anantnag, Srinagar, Budgam, Shopian, Kulgam and Baramulla districts of the Kashmir Valley and Poonch, Rajouri and Kishtwar districts of the Jammu division.
The NIA said it was investigating the activities of newly-floated terrorist groups such as the TRF, the United Liberation Front Jammu & Kashmir (UL J&K), Mujahideen Gazwat-ul-Hind (MGH), J&K Freedom Fighters (JKFF), Kashmir Tigers, the PAFF and others.
“These outfits are affiliated to the Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Jaish-e-Mohammed, the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, the Al-Badr, the al-Qaeda etc.,” the NIA said.
Using drones
The NIA said investigations revealed that Pakistan-based operatives were using drones to deliver weapons, bombs, drugs etc. to their operatives and cadres in the Kashmir Valley.
Similar searches were carried out on May 2 at 12 locations in Jammu and Kashmir. The NIA said it resulted in the seizure of incriminating material and digital devices, in the terror conspiracy case registered suo motu on June 21, 2022.
“Both physical and cyberspace plans are part of a larger conspiracy by these terrorist outfits to commit acts of terror and violence in association with local youth and overground workers to disturb peace and communal harmony in Jammu and Kashmir,” the NIA said.
