National Investigation Agency (NIA) has carried out searches in five districts of Jammu and Kashmir in connection with its investigation into dropping of weapons by Pakistani drones along the International Border, an official said.
The searches were carried out at eight locations on Thursday in Jammu, Srinagar, Kathua, Samba, and Doda districts in the case related to interception of a drone used for delivery of consignments of arms, ammunition and explosives by a key module of The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
The TRF operatives were working at the behest of Pakistani handlers, a spokesperson of the federal agency said.
"The searches conducted today have led to recovery of various incriminating material, digital devices and documents," the NIA said.
The spokesperson said the TRF operatives were in constant touch with Pakistani handlers of LeT and were receiving weapon consignments and other terrorist hardware via drones in the Indian territory near the International Border in Samba.
"These weapon consignments were being further supplied to TRF terrorists in Kashmir for execution of terrorist attacks on minorities, migrants, and security forces," the official said.
The case was initially registered at Rajbagh Police Station in Kathua on May 29 and was re-registered by NIA on July 30.
Officials in Kathua said the NIA conducted raids on four houses in Marheen area.
Similarly, raids were carried out at a house in Kharoa-Bhalla of Doda district and at Talab Khatikan in Jammu.
Last month, police busted a module of LeT with the arrest of seven of its members, including their leader Faisal Muneer of Khatikan Talab.
According to police, the module was in operation for over two years and was involved in collection and ferrying of weapons and explosives dropped via drones from the Pakistani side along the International Border.
Arms dropping case
A day before, police here seized an ammunition consignment allegedly meant for terrorists dropped by a drone from Pakistan near the Jammu International Border (IB).
The arms were seized on the basis of information provided by a jailed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander, who perished during an encounter at the site where the consignment was found, they said.
Additional Director General of Police, Jammu zone, Mukesh Singh said a policeman was also injured in the incident and was hospitalised.He identified the terrorist as Mohd Ali Hussain alias ‘Qasim’ alias ‘Jehangir’ who lodged at the Kot Balwal Jail.
The officer said the terrorist's name surfaced during the investigation of an arms dropping case through drone from Pakistan on February 24 in Arnia sector.
Mohmmad Ali Hussain alias Qasim alias Jehangir was fatally shot after he snatched the rifle of a policeman and fired at the police team that had taken him to a spot near the IB to discover weapons on Wednesday, ADGP Mukesh Singh said.
The arms packet was opened by bomb disposal squad and it was found to have contained one AK-rifle, one magazine, 40 rounds, one pistol, two pistol magazines, 10 rounds, and two grenades, he said.
The officer said the recovery operation was carried out by police after the terrorist's name surfaced during investigation in an arms dropping case through drone on February 24 in Arnia sector.
"An accused from Jammu had revealed that a Pakistani prisoner has been instrumental in drone droppings and is the main operative of LeT and Al-Badr terror groups. He was brought before the court from jail and was taken on police remand," the ADGP said.
A police team along with a magistrate went to the spot and seized the consignment discovered in Toph village, located near the IB in Phallian Mandal area, he said.
He said when the packet was being opened, Hussain attacked one of the police personnel and snatched his service rifle.
"He fired at the police party and tried to flee from the spot,” he said.
The terrorist, he said, got injured in the police firing and was taken to GMC hospital in Jammu along with the injured police personnel.
The terrorist succumbed there, he added.
