Last Updated on April 15, 2021 at 11:53 am
As security forces killed infamous Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist commander Burhan Wani in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, his companion Zakir Musa established Jammu and Kashmir’s first al-Qaeda-affiliated outfit Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH) in 2017.
Security forces have twice wiped out this terrorist outfit in a time period of just four years. J&K DGP Dilbag Singh told The Indian Express that security forces have neutralised five terrorists in the first and two in a later operation. Both these terrorist are associated with the same outfit. Forces have found 7 AKs and 2 pistols from these terrorists. He said that terrorist outfit AGuH has been removed by these operations.
Inspector-General of Police in Kashmir Range, Vijay Kumar expressed his concerns that even though AGuH has been almost wiped out from the region still over ground workers (OGWs) could be still present. Musa was appointed as the head of Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind for the Valley in May 2017 after he left Hizbul.
The AGuH outfit is often seen as an ideological stand in Kashmiri terrorism. Initially Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front had largely ruled over it and their demand was an independent secular state. Pro-Pakistan Hizbul Mujahideen entered into the scene a while later and they recruited local and foreign militants.
Government has exponentially increased anti-militancy operations after the unfortunate Pulwama attack took place in February 2019. At least 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers lost their lives in this terrorist attack.
A police official told that most anti-militancy operations were focused in Shopian district. 6 encounters have taken place in this region since 13 March leading to killing of at least 16 militants.
Another senior police officer said that security agencies are planning to achieve zero militancy driven terrorism in Kashmir before tourists from across the nation embark on Amarnath Yatra from 28 June. The Army is also working to avoid fresh terrorist recruitment, bust the OWG network and counter social media which is used for radicalisation in the valley.
Security forces killed 225 terrorists in 103 operations across J&K last year while 160 terrorists were killed in 2019.
