Srinagar: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday conducted search operations in 11 different places in Jammu and Kashmir in connection with radicalising and recruiting local youths by The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Toiba. The agency sleuths conducted searches at the residence of Basit Ahmad Dar against whom a bounty of Rs 10 lakh has been declared. Dar's residence is situated in Kulgam of Jammu and Kashmir.
In Srinagar, the NIA team along with Srinagar police raided the residence of Arsalan Feroz Ahanger son of Feroz Ahmed Ahanger, a resident of Zaldagar, who is already in NIA custody since December. The agency also raided the house of Ajaz Ahmad Dar son of Abdul Samad Dar, a resident of Mustafabad Zainakote area on Srinagar outskirts.
The NIA raided the house of Sameer Ahmad Ganie son of Mohammad Yaqoob, resident of Bonapora Nowgam on Srinagar outskirts, a salesman by profession and the house of retired government employee Mohammad Maqbool Bhat son of Ghulam Mohammad Bhat, a resident of Alnoor Colony at Chanapora and launched thorough searches.
At Bank colony Baghi Mehtab in uptown Srinagar, the NIA conducted searches in the house of Zahir Bashir Bhat son of Bashir Ahmad Bhat, who is associated with the shawl business. Simultaneous raids were also conducted in Aripathan Budgam and TulBagh Pampore in south Kashmir's Pulwama district.
"The searches were conducted at 11 locations in Kashmir (6 locations in Srinagar, 2 in Baramulla, 1 in Awantipura, 1 in Budgam and 1 in Kulgam) in NIA case number RC-32/2021/NIA/DLI," an NIA official said. The case relates to activities of TRF, a frontal outfit of LeT and its self-styled commander Sajjad Gul, who has been actively radicilasing, motivating and recruiting youth of J&K to affect violent activities, the official said. "He (Sajjad Gul) along with other associate-commander of LeT based in Pakistan, has been recruiting individuals (Over Ground Workers) to do reconnaissance of pre-determined targets, coordinating and transporting weapons to support LeT and TRF," the official added.
During the search operation, the official said, various incriminating materials such as digital devices, SIM cards, digital storage devices and documents have been seized.
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