NIA RAIDS 8 LOCATIONS IN J&K AFTER IED RECOVERY

JAMMU: The NIA on Tuesday conducted searches at eight locations across Jammu and Kashmir in connection with the recovery of a 5.5kg IED which was dropped using a drone in Jammu on June 27.

On the same day, two drones had also targeted an Indian Air Force facility in Jammu with explosives, leading investigators to suspect the role of Pakistanbased Lashkar-e-Taiba terror group and its newly-created arm in the Valley -- The Resistance Front -- behind the aerial attack.

The searches in Doda and Kishtwar districts of Jammu province and Anantnag, Baramulla, Kulgam and Srinagar in Kashmir Valley on Tuesday were held following inputs suggesting the involvement of a few people from these areas in the IED recovery case.

“Investigation revealed that Pakistan-based handlers of proscribed terror outfit LeT and their associates based in J&K are planning terrorist activities in J&K using the pseudo-acronym TRF (The Resistance Front) so as to maintain plausible deniability,” a NIA spokesperson said in a statement. “The conspiracy by LeT was aimed at causing (an) explosion in Jammu using the IED. NIA re-registered the case on July 19. NIA had earlier arrested three persons in this case,” the spokesperson added.

The raids were conducted with the assistance of J&K Police and the Central Reserve Police Force. Several digital devices and other incriminating materials were recovered during the searches, the NIA spokesperson said. One Nadeem-ul-Haq was caught by police when he was heading towards the Valley after picking the IED in Bathindi on June 27. However, the target for the IED blast is not yet known as Haq was reportedly only directed to collect the explosive device, officials said.