SRINAGAR: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday conducted raids at multiple places in the Poonch district in connection with the investigation of a militant attack at Dhangri village of Rajouri.
Seven civilians had lost their lives and thirteen got injured in the attack that took place on January 1 this year in Dhangri village.
NIA spokesman in a statement said that the agency conducted raids at the premises of several suspects in Poonch district of Jammu & Kashmir in connection with the Lashkar-e- Taiba (LeT) attack in Dhangri village of Rajouri district, in which five civilians were killed and several seriously injured in January this year. Raids were conducted at five locations across Gursai village of Mendhar Tehsil of Poonch district.”Two persons from Gursai village of Poonch district have already been booked by NIA in the case for harbouring the attackers.”
“NIA teams made extensive searches at the locations, which were the residential premises of Over ground Workers (OGWs) linked with LeT, a proscribed terrorist outfit. Several digital devices and documents containing incriminating data and content have been seized and are being scrutinised for unravelling the conspiracy,” the statement said.
It further said that “Two accused, Nisar Ahmed alias Haji Nisar and Mushtaq Hussain, were arrested by the NIA in the case (RC-01/2023/NIA/JMU) on 31st August 2023 and are currently lodged in Central Jail, Kot Bhalwal, Jammu. Disclosures made by these two men, along with inputs gathered by the NIA, led to today’s raids.”
The NIA statement said that investigations have revealed that both the arrested accused had harboured the militants who had carried out the deadly attack. “They had provided logistics support to the terrorists for more than two months and had sheltered them in a hideout that they had built,” the statement said. “The duo, as per the investigations, had been operating on the directions of Pakistan-based LeT handlers, namely Saifullah alias Sajid Jutt, Abu Qatal alias Qatal Sindhi and Mohd. Qasim.”
The statement said that the attack case was initially registered as FIR no. 01/2023 at PS Rajouri under sections 302/ 307 /120-B/452/323 of IPC; sections 13/16/18 of UA (P) Act 1967, and sections 7/27 of Arms Act. “NIA, which had taken over and re-registered the case on January 13, is carrying out further investigations,” it said—(KNO)
