Jaish-e-Mohammad uses mobile application to plan attacks in India: NIA

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has revealed that Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) uses messaging app like 'TextNow' to keep in touch with its militants in India, NIA sources told Zee media on Wednesday.

The terror group used this messaging app to carry out the Pulwama attack, the probe agency found out during its investigation. 

Terrorists conspired to attack India through mobile app: NIAhttps://t.co/CLsQeHysfw

— Zee News (@ZeeNews) January 8, 2020

The idea to use the messaging app is the brainchild of Abdul Rauf, the new commander of JeM and the younger brother of the outfit's chief Maulana Masood. This method has been used to recruit terrorists as well as execute planned attacks in many places even before the Pulwama attack. 

The transcripts of the chat conversation between the terrorists, which is available with Zee news, points to the fact that the suicide bomber attack on CRPF personnel in Pulwama last year was planned in Pakistan.

According to sources, the messaging 'TextNow' is unique as one can share Whatsapp numbers too and the identity of the sender remains anonymous. This feature poses a problem for the investigating agencies to trace them. 

At least 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on February 14 after a JeM suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into their bus.