NIA searches six locations in Jammu in Pakistan-backed terror conspiracy case

THE NIA Saturday conducted searches at six places in Chenab Valley region of J&K as part of its investigations into the alleged conspiracy by Pakistan-based terror outfits to revive terrorism in Jammu division and claimed to have seized incriminating material.

Though NIA did not give details of people whose premises were searched, sources said some of them included a local leader of the now-banned Hurriyat Conference, Arshad Qayoom Mattoo of Kishtwar, Zahid Mir of Batote’s ward No. 7, Tanveer Ahmed alias jimmy of ba ni hal and Mohammad Sharief of Doda.

However, no one was detained during the searches.

An NIA statement said that extensive searches were conducted in Doda, Ramban and Kishtwar districts of Jammu province in the case registered by the agency related to the alleged conspiracy by banned terrorist organisations and their offshoots to carry out violent attacks using sticky bombs, IEDS and small arms in Jammu and Kashmir.

“The searches have led to the seizure of incriminating material including digital devices and documents from the premises linked to hybrid terrorists, overground workers (OGWS), sympathisers and cadres linked to the newlyformed offshoots and affiliates of proscribed terrorist outfits,’’ it added. These proscribed outfits include Laskhar-e-toiba, Jaish-emohammed, Hizb-ul-mujahideen, Al-badr and Al-qaeda.

NIA had lodged a suo moto case on june 21,2022 to dismantle the alleged terror network operated by these outfits, as well as their newly-launched offshoots.