SIA Raids Multiple Locations in South Kashmir Over Leaks of Sensitive Security Information via Messaging Apps

In a significant counter-terrorism operation, the State Investigation Agency (SIA) on Sunday carried out a series of coordinated raids across multiple locations in South Kashmir, targeting individuals suspected of leaking sensitive information related to national security.

The agency, which serves as Jammu and Kashmir’s counterpart to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), is investigating a case involving the unauthorized sharing of strategic intelligence concerning security forces and critical infrastructure.

According to official sources, the operation was launched following credible technical intelligence inputs that pointed to the existence of active sleeper cells in Kashmir, reportedly in direct contact with handlers across the border in Pakistan.

These individuals were allegedly using encrypted messaging platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, and others to transmit confidential and potentially damaging information to their overseas contacts.

In a detailed statement issued to the media, the SIA revealed that 20 locations across four districts—Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam, and Anantnag—were raided simultaneously in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The searches were conducted in connection with a case registered under several provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967, a stringent anti-terror law designed to combat terrorism and safeguard national sovereignty.

As part of the operation, the agency detained multiple individuals for questioning and claimed to have seized incriminating material, including digital devices, documents, and other evidence believed to be linked to anti-national activities.

Officials confirmed that the ongoing investigation aims to expose a wider terror network suspected of engaging in espionage, radical propaganda, and subversive conspiracies.

“The Jammu and Kashmir Police, in coordination with the SIA, have maintained surveillance on suspected terror associates and over-ground workers (OGWs),” the agency said in its official release.

“The preliminary findings reveal a disturbing trend of organized efforts to convey classified information about security installations and troop movements to Pakistan-based handlers using secure digital channels.”

Further elaborating on the nature of the threat, the SIA stated that the accused were also involved in spreading radical ideology online, acting under the instructions of top commanders from proscribed terror outfits such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).

These efforts, the agency said, were aimed at undermining India’s sovereignty, inciting communal discord, and promoting violent extremism within the Union Territory.

The SIA emphasized that the conspiracy goes beyond mere information leaks and constitutes a larger campaign of psychological and digital warfare, where radicalization and misinformation are deployed to destabilize public order and national integrity.

The agency described the arrested individuals as being “key cogs in a network of terror associates” who were actively advancing anti-India narratives and plotting disruptive activities within the region.

Established in 2021, the SIA was mandated to serve as a specialized nodal agency for terrorism-related investigations in Jammu and Kashmir.

It is empowered to coordinate closely with national security agencies, including the NIA, and to conduct independent probes into cases involving threats to national security.

This latest operation signals the agency’s increased vigilance and capability in tackling the evolving threats posed by digital espionage, radical online recruitment, and covert communication networks that often operate under the radar.

The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities have assured that further arrests and discoveries are likely as evidence is analyzed and digital data is processed.

The government has reaffirmed its commitment to cracking down on such activities that endanger the country’s unity, safety, and constitutional values.