Jammu, March 19 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday was carrying out searches at 12 locations in Jammu in connection with a case regarding the infiltration of terrorists from across the border into J&K.

Officials said that teams of J&K Police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) are assisting the NIA sleuths in carrying out these searches.

'Searches started simultaneously at 12 locations in the morning today,' officials said.

Officials said these searches are focussed on the premises of terror overground workers (OGWs) and terror sympathisers.

'The searches are related to a case registered by the NIA on the directions of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on October 24, 2024.

'FIR number RC-04/2024/NIA/JMU was registered on the basis of information regarding the infiltration of active terrorists belonging to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) outfits into Indian territory through the International Border (IB) and Line of Control (LoC) in J&K,' the officials said.

Officials added that OGWs and other terror associates based in villages in the Jammu region, who were engaged in providing logistical support, food, shelter, and money to the terrorists, facilitated these infiltrations.

It must be recalled that NIA conducted similar searches in November last year and seized various incriminating documents from the premises of the suspects.

Most of the cases related to terrorism in the union territory are being investigated by the NIA. These include the cases against proscribed JKLF leader, Yasin Malik, separatist leaders, Shabir Shah, Nayeem Khan and others.

In the case concerning Yasin Malik, the NIA succeeded in getting him a life sentence from the designated court while cases against other terrorist supporters and facilitators are at advanced stages of legal scrutiny.

The NIA has also vehemently opposed the regular bail application of MP Engineer Rashid presently lodged in Delhi's Tihar Jail.

The agency has pleaded before the court that Engineer Rashid being an influential person can temper with vital evidence against him if his bail application is allowed by the court.

/IANS