J-K: NIA raids seven districts in Pakistan-backed terrorist conspiracy case

New Delhi [India], May 9 (ANI): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday conducted searches at 15 locations in Jammu and Kashmir's seven districts in the Pakistan-backed terrorist conspiracy case.

The Central anti-terror agency officials carried out the search operation at four places in Anantnag, three in Shopian, two each in Budgam, Srinagar and Poonch, and one each in Baramulla and Rajouri districts in the Union Territory.

The NIA had registered a suo motu case on June 21 last year about the terrorist conspiracy.

The raids are still underway at these 15 locations in Jammu and Kashmir, and the NIA is being supported by Central Reserve Police Force and police personnel. The places being searched are linked to suspects in the case.

Searches are being carried out specifically at the premises of cadres and hybrid overground workers linked with the affiliates and offshoots of different terrorist organisations, operating under pseudo names such as "The Resistance Front" (TRF), "United Liberation Front Jammu and Kashmir" (UL J&K), "Mujahideen Gazwat-ul-Hind" (MGH), "Jammu and Kashmir Freedom Fighters" (JKFF), Kashmir Tigers, "People's Anti-Fascist Front" (PAAF) and others.

On May 2 last year, the NIA also carried out searches at 12 locations in Jammu and Kashmir in the case till late in the evening. The places searched then included 11 in the Kashmir valley (eight in Pulwama district and one each in Kulgam, Anantnag and Budgam districts), and one Poonch in Jammu.

The case is related to the hatching of a conspiracy, both physical and in cyberspace, and plans by proscribed terrorist organisations to execute violent terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir with sticky bombs, Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and small arms.

"The plans are part of a larger conspiracy by the terrorist groups to commit terror acts in association with local youths and overground workers in order to create communal disharmony in Jammu and Kashmir," the NIA has said.

The terrorist outfits involved in the conspiracy were identified as Laskhar-e-Toiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Al-Badr, and Al-Qaeda, among others.

Initial investigations by the NIA indicated that these workers and cadres were involved in the collection and distribution of sticky bombs or magnetic bombs, IEDs, cash, narcotics and small weapons.

"These weapons, bombs, narcotics etc were being pushed onto the Indian soil by Pakistan-based handlers and commanders of proscribed terrorist organisations using drones to the terrorists active in the Kashmir valley," NIA officials said.

The NIA had conducted similar multiple searches in the terror conspiracy case at 14 locations in Jammu and Kashmir on June 24 last year. The searches, conducted then in the districts of Srinagar, Baramulla, Pulwama, Anantnag Budgam and Kathua, had led to the seizure of incriminating material and digital devices. (ANI)