The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested four terrorists linked to Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) backed The Resistance Front (TRF). Earlier on Tuesday, the NIA had conducted raids at 16 locations across Jammu and Kashmir. The raids were conducted at locations in Shopian, Pulwama and Srinagar, in connection with a new case linked to the Over Ground Workers (OGWs) of various Tanzeems including TRF.
On Sunday, the agency had arrested two operatives of TRF in connection with its larger conspiracy probe against the outfit. They were identified as Tawseef Ahmed Wani, a resident of Baramulla and Faiz Ahmed Khan, a resident of Anantnag.
TRF was created by the Pakistan Army, ISI in response to India’s abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. Indian agencies claim that the outfit is an offshoot of LeT. TRF has claimed responsibility for the recent attacks on civilians in Jammu and Kashmir.
Investigators have stated that the TRF is also behind the June 27 recovery of an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) weighing 5.5 kg, which was dropped using a drone in Jammu on June 27 in Bathindi (Jammu) as well as twin-drone based attacks at the Air Force Station in Satwari on the same day.
In the past few days, terrorists have killed civilians including prominent Kashmiri chemist ML Bindroo, Virinder Paswan (a vendor), and Mohammad Shafi. Supinder Kaur and Deepak Chand (both teachers) were gunned down at a school in Srinagar. According to IG Kashmir Vijay Kumar, a total of 28 civilians have been killed by terrorists in Kashmir in 2021. Out of the 28, five persons belonged to the local Hindu/Sikh community while two were non-local Hindu labourers.
Terrorist handlers across the border have been frustrated by the successful operations against them and the elimination of many terrorists, which has led them to change their strategy and target civilians belonging to the minority communities, including women.