NIA conducts raids, detains 5 J&K youths in terror funding case

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), assisted by the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), raided 10 locations in Jammu and Kashmir — including Anantnag, Srinagar, Awantipora and Baramulla — on Sunday. Additionally, the NIA detained five youths for their alleged links with the ISIS.

This came a day after three militants were killed in an encounter in J&K’s Anantnag district.

The operations are part of the agency’s actions under the new ISIS module and terror funding case that was registered 10 days ago. However, media reports said the suspects had been under surveillance for three months.

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An India Today report said online radicalisation was discovered in the Indian subcontinent that had links with Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

Magazine editor nabbed

On Sunday, the NIA detained and interrogated five people including Umar Bhat, a youngster from Mohalla Achabal in South Kashmir. He is reportedly the editor-in-chief of the print edition of a radical magazine targeted at Indian Muslim youths. Huzaifa al-Bakistani, a key commander of the Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISJK) and a ‘highly-trained Pakistani national’, reportedly runs the journal, said the India Today report.

A report in Greater Kashmir said that during a raid at Siraj-ul-Uloom at Dalal Mohalla in Srinagar, the NIA team seized some official records including a laptop. It also arrested Adnan Ahmad Nadvi, chairman of Siraj-ul-Uloom.

Similar raids were carried out in the south Kashmir villages of Pushroo, Sunsooma and Achabal, the report added.

The others who were arrested included Javaid Ahmad Mir (28), an MBA passout and a shopkeeper by profession, Ovais Ahmad Bhat, a lab technician and resident of Magray Mohalla Achabal, Tanveer Ahmad Bhat (26), a shopkeeper, and Zeeshan Ameen Malik (22), a chemist at Janglat Mandi Anantnag.