Terror funding: NIA raids at about dozen places in Kashmir

Srinagar: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has conducted raids at about a dozen places in the Kashmir valley in connection with alleged terror funding from Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK), official sources said here today. They said the NIA personnel, assisted by local Crime Branch (CB) and state police raided about a dozen places in summer capital, Srinagar, Tangmarg in Baramulla district, Handwara in the frontier district of Kupwara since early this morning.

Details about the raids were not immediately known. The NIA has arrested a number of separatists leaders, including spokespersons of both the factions of Hurriyat Conference (HC), two sons and son in law of hardline HC chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani last month after their questioning in Srinagar.

NIA also conducted raids on their and other separatist leaders houses after a formal FIR was registered following alleged admission in a sting operation by Nayeem Ahmad Khan, chairman of National Front (NF) that separatists were receiving funds for terror activities in Kashmir from abroad. Khan, who is also under arrest, was later suspended from the HC headed by Geelani. The disclosure by Khan led to NIA raids at several places in Delhi, Haryana, Jammu and Srinagar. Meanwhile, Enforcement Directorate (ED) also arrested Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) chief Shabir Ahmad Shah in connection with 2015 money laundering case. (UNI)