The National Investigation Agency (NIA) carried out raids at nearly a dozen locations in Srinagar, Awantipora, Pulwama, Kulgam, and Anantnag areas of Kashmir valley early Tuesday in connection with a terror funding case. One person, identified as Ishaq Ahmad Bhat, has been detained for questioning from the Sozeith area of Srinagar.
According to officials, the NIA team arrived early in the morning between 5.30 and 6.00 am and took Ishaq away along with his mobile phone. The father of the suspect, Mohammad Ramzan Bhat, said, “We have no links with militancy or stone pelting.” He added that Ishaq worked as a labourer.
Similarly, Ishaq’s brother Bilal Bhat said that his brother was illiterate and worked as a window glass fitter. The raids are being conducted in connection with a terror funding case registered last year.
Terrorism in the Kashmir valley has been a significant issue for decades. The region has been a site of conflict between India and Pakistan since their independence from British colonial rule in 1947. While the majority of Kashmiris are Muslim, the region is split between Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistani-administered Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.
The Indian government has accused Pakistan of supporting and financing terrorism in the region, a charge that Pakistan denies. The NIA has been investigating several cases related to terror funding in Kashmir.
This is not the first time that the NIA has conducted raids in the region. In 2019, the agency carried out raids at multiple locations in Srinagar, Baramulla, and Handwara in connection with a terror funding case. In 2020, it arrested a militant from Anantnag district who was allegedly involved in the killing of five CRPF personnel in 2019.
The latest raids indicate that the Indian government is stepping up its efforts to combat terrorism in the region. However, it remains to be seen whether these efforts will be successful in bringing peace to the troubled region.