Srinagar: A day after a jailed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander was killed during an encounter at the site where the consignment dropped by a drone was found, National Investigation Agency (NIA) today conducted searches at eight different locations in Jammu and Kashmir in a case related to interception of a drone used for delivery of arms and ammunition.
A spokesperson of NIA said that searches were conducted in Srinagar, Jammu, Kathua, Samba, and Doda of Jammu and Kashmir in the case related to interception of a drone used for delivery of consignments of arms/ammunition/explosives by a key module of TRF, an offshoot of LeT, which was working at the behest of Pakistani handlers.
A spokesperson of NIA, in a statement said that the TRF operatives were in constant touch with Pakistani handlers of LeT and were receiving consignments of arms/ammunition/explosives and other terrorist hardware via drones in Indian territory near IB in the Samba Sector.
“These weapon consignments were being further supplied to TRF terrorists in Kashmir for execution of terrorist attacks on minorities, migrants and security forces,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson further said that the case was initially registered in PS Rajbagh, Kathua as FIR no. 114/2022 dated 29.05.2022 and was re-registered by NIA on 30.07.2022.
“Searches conducted today have led to recovery of various incriminating material and digital devices, documents etc.,” said the spokesperson, adding, further investigations in the case are in progress.
Earlier on Wednesday, police in Jammu seized an ammunition consignment allegedly dropped by a drone from Pakistan near the Jammu International Border (IB), officials said on Thursday.
The arms were seized on the basis of information provided by a jailed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander, “who was killed during an encounter at the site where the consignment was found”, they said.
“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 Hussain’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,” Singh 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,” the ADGP added.
