Two days after selective killing, NIA cracks down on newly-floated terror outfits [details]

Two days after an unknown terror group claimed responsibility for killing circus worker Deepak Kumar alias Deepu, sleuths of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday cracked down on the newly floated terror outfits in Jammu and Kashmir.

Sleuths of the NIA seized incriminating literature and several digital devices during the raids to dismantle the ecosystem of newly floated terror groups.

A little-known newly floated terror group called the Kashmir Freedom Fighters has claimed responsibility for killing the lone breadwinner of the Udhampur family Deepak Kumar. The terror group is believed to be a shadow outfit of the banned Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT).

Deepak Kumar, 26, from the Udhampur district of the Jammu region was attacked when he had gone to a nearby market to purchase milk. He was part of a circus crew that was camping at the Janglaat Mandi area.

Selective killings of members of the minority community

• On February 26, terrorists killed Sanjay Sharma in Pulwama district.
• Puran Krishan Bhat was killed by terrorists on October 15, 2022, in Shopian. 
• Terrorists killed Sunil Kumar at Shopian on August 16, 2022.
• On June 2, 2022, terrorists first killed a bank employee from Rajasthan Vijay Kumar, and a migrant labourer from Bihar Dilkhush in Budgam district.
• Dalit teacher Rajni Bala was killed by terrorists on May 31, 2022, in the premises of her school in Kulgam district.
• On May 15, 2022, terrorists killed Ranjit Kumar of Rajouri Jammu in Baramulla district.
• Rahul Bhat, a Kashmiri Pandit employee was killed by terrorists in his office on May 12, 2022 at Chadoora.
• On April 13, 2022, a driver Satish Kumar Singh was killed by terrorists in Kulgam district. 

Crack-down intensified on newly floated terror groups.

According to NIA, the searches were conducted at three locations in the Kashmir Valley, in the residential premises of sympathizers/cadres, hybrid terrorists, and Over Ground Workers (OGWs) linked with the newly-formed offshoots and affiliates of several proscribed Pakistan-backed terror outfits, such as Laskhar-e-Toiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), AI-Badr, AI-Qaeda, etc.

"The day-long raids and searches were conducted at locations in Srinagar and Budgam districts, as part of the ongoing NIA investigations into the activities of the recently formed militant groups, including The Resistance Front (TRF), United Liberation Front Jammu & Kashmir (ULFJ&K), Mujahideen Gazwat-ul-Hind (MGH), Jammu & Kashmir Freedom Fighters (JKFF), Kashmir Tigers and PAAF", NIA spokesman said.

Raids conducted at 51 locations recently in J&K to dismantle terror-ecosystem

A total of 51 locations have been searched in recent days in connection with the terror conspiracy case (RC-05/2022/NIA/JMU), which was registered suo moto by NIA on 21st June 2022. The case relates to the hatching of a conspiracy, both physical and in cyberspace, and plans by the proscribed terror organizations to unleash violent terror attacks in J&K with sticky bombs, IEDs and small arms, etc.

The plans are part of a larger conspiracy to carry out acts of terrorism and violence, by radicalizing local youth and mobilizing overground workers, to disturb the peace and communal harmony of J&K.

Cadres and workers of the newly formed organizations have been found to be involved in the collection and distribution of sticky bombs/magnetic bombs, IEDs, funds, narcotic substances, arms/ammunition, etc. They are spreading activities relating to militancy, violence, and subversion in J&K, as per NIA investigations.

Investigations have further revealed that Pak-based operatives are using drones to deliver arms/ammunition, explosives, narcotics, etc. to their operatives and cadres in the Kashmir valley. These operatives use social media to connect with the cadres and workers in India.