NIA chargesheet reveals why The Resistance Front is J&K’s biggest nightmare

New Delhi, Dec 24: The National Investigation Agency has filed a chargesheet against three accused persons in connection with a case pertaining to the recovery of Improvised Explosive Devices in Jammu and Kashmir.

The chargesheet was filed against Nadeem Ul Haq, Nadeem Ayoub Rather and Talib Ur Rehman. On June 27 2021, the Jammu and Kashmir police had recovered IED near the Madrasa Markaz Ul Haroof at Bhatindi.

During the probe the NIA learnt that the accused persons were receiving instructions from the Pakistan based The Resistance Front via WhatsApp. The probe revealed that the accused persons on the instructions of the TRF were involved in a larger conspiracy to recruit and activate a significant number of radicalised youth in the Valley to target security personnel. They had also planned on waging a war against the government of India, the NIA said.

In September this year, the NIA learnt that the Pakistan based handlers of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba and their associates based in Jammu and Kashmir are planning terrorist activities. It further said that they were planning on using the pseudo-acronym The Resistance Front so as to maintain plausible deniability.

The Resistance Front or the TRF was formed around March 2020. The first time that the police came to know about the TRF when a module was busted on April 23 2020 at Sopore. The police had said back that it was a proxy of the Lashkar.

The Resistance Front or the TRF was formed around March 2020. The first time that the police came to know about the TRF when a module was busted on April 23 2020 at Sopore. The police had said back that it was a proxy of the Lashkar.

The group has also indulged in plenty of propaganda activity. On the groups, the members speak about the need to increase the resistance in Jammu and Kashmir, especially after the Centre on August 5, 2019, withdrew the special status.

The TRF also goes by the name JK Fighters. Following the Sopore raid, the police arrested four persons-Ahtisham Farooq Malik, Shafqat Ali Tagoo, Musaib Hassan Bhat and Nisar Ahmad Ganai. A police official who questioned the four said that they were reporting to their handler in Pakistan. He goes by the name Andrew Jones and on the group, he operates under the ID of Khan Bilal. The group is called as TRF/JK Fighters-The Resistance Front.

Officials say that the group is used to recruit local youth for terror-related activities, especially in North Kashmir. There are messages on the group, which clearly instigate the locals into taking up arms and fighting the Indian forces.

Intelligence Bureau officials say that the group is a proxy and intends focusing on recruiting local youth. As pointed out by the NIA, the ISI has formed this group and the intent is to strike using a pseudo-acronym. This would give Pakistan plausible deniability, the officer also explained. It would also keep the heat away from the Lashkar and the ISI especially in the wake of the recent developments at the Financial Action Task Force.

Earlier this year the TRF targeted people citing the new domicile law. A Jammu and Kashmir based Punjabi jeweller was shot dead in Srinagar. He was based in J&K for the past four decades and was shot dead by motor-cycle borne terrorists in the city's Sarai Bala locality.

The TRF said that the domicile law was not acceptable and everyone other than indigenous Kashmiris would be treated as occupiers if they acquire property in Jammu and Kashmir.

Satpal Nischal who was shot dead in the congested Sarai Bala area got a domicile certificate. He became the first domicile holder to be targeted by terrorists since the new law took effect. He was the owner of Nischal Jewellers in Srinagar and the police said that he took three bullets on his chest. After getting the domicile certificate, he purchased a shot at the Hanuman Mandir in Srinagar and a house at Indira Nagar.