NIA confirms IS presence in Kashmir

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday filed a chargesheet against three Kashmiri militants for trying to carry out attack on a police team at the tourist reception centre in Jammu and Kashmir last year.

The three, Tahir Ahmad Khan, Haris Mushtaq Khan and Asif Suhail Nadaf, owed allegiance to Islamic State of Jammu and Kashmir (ISJK), NIA said.

They were arrested by the local police in November last year. The investigation into the case was transferred to NIA by the Union home ministry. During its probe, NIA said accused persons were active cadres of Islamic State J& K (ISJK), a Kashmir-based affiliate of ISIS. “Investigation unearthed a larger conspiracy of these terrorist elements propagating pan-Islamic ideology of ISIS by recruiting and radicalising Kashmiri youth towards Jihad and targeting security forces,” a statement from the NIA said.


It was also revealed that three other accused persons in the case, Ishfaq Ahmad Sofi, Pervez Ahmad Bhat and Asif Nazir Dar, were killed during different encounters that took place between the ISJK cadres and security forces across the Kashmir valley. The agency in its chargesheet filed before a Jammu special court claimed that two pistols, fourteen live rounds and three hand grenades were recovered from their possession along with an ISIS flag.

Haris Mushtaq, according to NIA, completed his graduation in Arts from Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi, and was pursuing his MA in International Studies. He left studies and joined the militant ranks in 2017.

The group had set up an underground hideout in an apple orchard in Awantipora which was frequented by members of an ISISinspired module.