INDIA. Mumbai: During searches at 18 locations, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested five terror operatives in Jammu and Kashmir terrorism conspiracy case, taking the number of arrested in the last two days to nine, on Wednesday.
The agency said that the five were involved in a conspiracy for undertaking violent terrorists acts in J&K and other major cities by cadres of proscribed terrorist organizations Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Al Badr, and their affiliates. The arrested were identified as Md Haneef Chiralu, Hafeez, Owais Dar, Mateen Bhat, and Arif Farooq Bhat.
The NIA had registered the case on October 10 and initiated an investigation. Waseem Ahmad Sofi, Tariq Ahmad Dar, Bilal Ahmad Mir alias Bilal Fafu and Tariq Ahmad Bafanda were arrested from Srinagar, Pulwama, and Shopian districts on Tuesday.
“Preliminary investigation has revealed that the 05 arrested accused persons are terror associates/OGWs of various proscribed terrorist organizations and have been instrumental in providing logistical support to terrorists and facilitating them in carrying out terror activities,” NIA said in a statement. During the searches, the NIA seized electronic devices and “incriminating jihadi documents”.
The accused were Over Ground Workers of proscribed terrorist organizations and have been providing logistical and material support to terrorists and facilitating them in their nefarious designs. The NIA spokesman said these terrorists and cadres have affected several terrorist acts including the killing of numerous innocent civilians and security personnel and unleashed a reign of terror in the Kashmir valley, thereby challenging the writ of the state.
