NEW DELHI: National Investigation Agency is probing six cases under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) against the banned The Resistance Force ( TRF), an offshoot of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba. The outfit, according to the ministry of home affairs, came into existence in 2019 after the abrogation of Article 370 and was banned by MHA under UAPA in 2023.
TRF's activities started in 2020-21 following which the first case regarding recovery of improvised explosive devices from a LeT terrorist in Bathindi in Jammu was registered on June 27, 2021. "Investigation revealed that Pakistan-based handlers of proscribed terror outfit LeT and their associates based in J&K had conspired to cause extensive terror activities. They had planned that responsibility for the terrorist acts so committed would be taken by the pseudo-acronym TRF to maintain plausible deniability and evade," explained a senior official.
After NIA took over the case later that year, two TRF operatives - Tawseef Ahmed Wani, a native of Baramulla and Faiz Ahmed Khan from Anantnag - were arrested. Investigations revealed that Sheikh Sajjad Gul (50) is the commander of LeT/TRF and now operates from PoK .
Several youths who crossed over to PoK and are helping Gul, aka Hamza, have been designated as individual terrorists under UAPA, as per NIA. Salim Rehmani, aka Abu Saad, and Saifullah Sajid Jutt are part of TRF and are engaged in radicalising youths of J&K for violent activities.
"They are recruiting individual over ground workers (OGWs) to carry out reconnaissance of predetermined targets, co-ordinating and transporting weapons to support LeT and its affiliate TRF," said another official.
The second case was registered in 2021 into the larger conspiracy on recruitment and indoctrination of local youths by TRF cadres based in PoK. Seven Kashmiri youths have been arrested so far in these cases.
"LeT is the largest terrorist group formed in early 1990s and actively engaged in reviving the network in Anantnag area. It is working through various offshoots in Jammu & Kashmir region. The two outfits are operating on social media platforms like Twitter, Telegram and YouTube channels to promote their cause and lure unemployed youth to carry out terror activities," another official said.
The third case was initially registered by NIA in 2023. Three more cases related to attack on security forces and non-local Hindus in Jammu region were taken up by NIA and several of those involved in the attack have been charge-sheeted by NIA.
In one of the cases involving a non-local, a Telegram channel run from Pakistan was used to recruit three youths and instigate attacks. Three Kashmiri youths - Adil Manzoor Langoo, Ahran Rasool Dar and Dawood - were allegedly involved in the killing of Amritpal Singh, a worker from Amritsar at Shalla Kadal locality in Habba Kadal area of Srinagar.
TRF's activities started in 2020-21 following which the first case regarding recovery of improvised explosive devices from a LeT terrorist in Bathindi in Jammu was registered on June 27, 2021. "Investigation revealed that Pakistan-based handlers of proscribed terror outfit LeT and their associates based in J&K had conspired to cause extensive terror activities. They had planned that responsibility for the terrorist acts so committed would be taken by the pseudo-acronym TRF to maintain plausible deniability and evade," explained a senior official.
After NIA took over the case later that year, two TRF operatives - Tawseef Ahmed Wani, a native of Baramulla and Faiz Ahmed Khan from Anantnag - were arrested. Investigations revealed that Sheikh Sajjad Gul (50) is the commander of LeT/TRF and now operates from PoK .
Several youths who crossed over to PoK and are helping Gul, aka Hamza, have been designated as individual terrorists under UAPA, as per NIA. Salim Rehmani, aka Abu Saad, and Saifullah Sajid Jutt are part of TRF and are engaged in radicalising youths of J&K for violent activities.
"They are recruiting individual over ground workers (OGWs) to carry out reconnaissance of predetermined targets, co-ordinating and transporting weapons to support LeT and its affiliate TRF," said another official.
The second case was registered in 2021 into the larger conspiracy on recruitment and indoctrination of local youths by TRF cadres based in PoK. Seven Kashmiri youths have been arrested so far in these cases.
"LeT is the largest terrorist group formed in early 1990s and actively engaged in reviving the network in Anantnag area. It is working through various offshoots in Jammu & Kashmir region. The two outfits are operating on social media platforms like Twitter, Telegram and YouTube channels to promote their cause and lure unemployed youth to carry out terror activities," another official said.
The third case was initially registered by NIA in 2023. Three more cases related to attack on security forces and non-local Hindus in Jammu region were taken up by NIA and several of those involved in the attack have been charge-sheeted by NIA.
In one of the cases involving a non-local, a Telegram channel run from Pakistan was used to recruit three youths and instigate attacks. Three Kashmiri youths - Adil Manzoor Langoo, Ahran Rasool Dar and Dawood - were allegedly involved in the killing of Amritpal Singh, a worker from Amritsar at Shalla Kadal locality in Habba Kadal area of Srinagar.
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