NIA raids 12 locations in J&K in terror conspiracy case

NIA teams swooped down on 12 locations in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday in connection with investigations into a Pakistan-backed terror conspiracy case, registered on June 21 last year.

The searches, being conducted at 11 locations in Kashmir — 8 in Pulwama and one each in Kulgam, Anantnag and Budgam districts — and one in Jammu’s Poonch district, were on till late evening.

The case related to a conspiracy, ‘both physical and in cyberspace’, by proscribed terrorist groups to execute attacks with sticky bombs, IEDs and small arms, an NIA spokesman said.

It was part of a larger conspiracy to commit terrorist acts in association with local youths and overground workers in order to create communal disharmony in J&K, the probe agency said, adding that the outfits involved in the nefarious plan included Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, al-Badr and al-Qaida, besides others.

Initial investigations by NIA indicated that these workers and cadres were involved in collection and distribution of sticky/magnetic bombs, IEDs, cash, narcotics and small weapons, which were being pushed into India by their Pakistan-based handlers and terrorist commanders using drones, the spokesperson said.

Searches are also being carried out on the premises of cadres and hybrid overground workers linked with the affiliates and offshoots of these organisations, operating under pseudo names such as The Resistance Front, United Liberation Front Jammu & Kashmir, Mujahideen Gazwat-ul-Hind, Jammu & Kashmir Freedom Fighters, Kashmir Tigers, PAAF and others.

The NIA had carried out raids at 14 locations in J&K on June 24, 2002, in connection with the case, and seized incriminating material and digital devices.

Source » timesofindia