JAMMU: National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday launched searches at properties linked to hybrid terrorists, overground workers (OGWs) and terrorist sympathisers — allegedly involved in facilitating cross-border infiltration of terrorists — in 12 locations across J&K’s Jammu division, including Bhatindi, Janipur, Malik Market and Safa Valley areas.
NIA had on Oct 24, 2024, registered a case in this connection on directions of the Ministry of Home Affairs, following information on active terrorists of proscribed outfits — Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad — sneaking into India through the Indo-Pak international border and Line of Control (LoC).
“The infiltrations were allegedly facilitated by OGWs and other terror associates based in the hinterland of Jammu region, who were engaged in providing logistical support, food, shelter and even money to the terrorists,” said an official.
On Nov 21, 2024, NIA had conducted similar raids at multiple locations in five J&K districts (Reasi, Udhampur, Doda, Ramban and Kishtwar) in connection with a case related to cross-border infiltration and terror attacks on security forces and civilians. Extensive searches yielded various incriminating materials showing links between terrorists of banned outfits, OGWs and hybrid terrorists. The raids revealed that these hybrid terrorists and OGWs were linked with newly formed offshoots and affiliates of proscribed terror outfits.
Earlier in April 2024, as part of a massive crackdown on Pakistan-backed terror organisations and their offshoots, NIA had raided premises of OGWs and hybrid terrorists — linked with LeT, JeM, Hizbul Mujahideen, Al-Badr, al-Qaida, The Resistance Front, United Liberation Front Jammu & Kashmir, Mujahideen Gazwat-ul-Hind, Jammu & Kashmir Freedom Fighters, Kashmir Tigers, Peoples Anti-Fascist Front, and others — in nine locations across Kashmir division and seized several digital devices containing huge volumes of incriminating data and documents. In June 2024, the agency registered a case in this regard.