The Kashmir Pulse

BARAMULLA — Two militants who had managed to flee from police custody in the northern district of Baramulla in the wee hours on Wednesday were re-arrested, a police official said.

“Both the militants who had fled from police custody were arrested in the Chakloo area,” the official confirmed to the news agency KNO, adding that they had managed give slip to police during Sehri time, taking advantage of the darkness. “Both were arrested within 15 hours.”

Earlier, police had sounded a high alert across Baramulla and a massive hunt was launched to track the militants. The duo was arrested in connection with a grenade blast in which an employee of a newly-opened wine shop was killed and three others were injured in Baramulla district on May 17, last year.

The militants, who gave slip to police, were identified as Maroof Nazir Soleh and Shahid Showkat Bala - both residents of Baramulla. They were part of a Falcon Squad (TRF) - Lashkar-e-Toiba offshoot and were arrested on May 19 last year, a police official said.

"Following the incident, the joint contingent of forces launched a cordon and search operation in the several areas of Baramulla to nab the militants," the official had said earlier, adding that several checkpoints across Baramulla including Sopore were set to track the militants.

Police said that apart from the attack on the wine shop, the module was involved in grenade throwing in town and firing attacks, etc over a period of time.

"Five pistols, 23 grenades, one suspicious package (likely IED) besides seven magazines, 205 rounds of ammunition and four cleaning rods along with a bike used in the attack on the wine shop had been seized from their possession," he said.

KUPWARA — A day after the property of a TRF militant was attached in Sopore, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday attached the property of a slain Hizbul Mujahideen militant commander in Kralpora area of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district.

An official told the news agency KNO that the property belonged to Bashir Ahmed Peer alias Imtiyaz Alam son of Late Mohammad Sikander Peer, a resident of Babapora, Kralpora who was shot dead in Rawalpindi on February 21 by unknown gunmen in Pakistan.

"Immovable property land measuring 3 kanals under survey numbers 3807/1479, 3810/1480, 1497and 1480 situated at Estate Batpora, Tehsil Kralpora, District Kupwara, J&K (UT) was attached by the NIA and were accompanied by the Jammu and Kashmir Police," the official added.

He said Imtiyaz was also designated an 'individual terrorist' under the UA(P)A and accused of NIA Case RC-29/2021/NIA/DLI by the order of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, dated 13-02-2023.

Notably, Peer as per the Ministry of Home Affairs participated in a number of online propaganda groups to unite ex-militants and other cadres for the expansion of activities of Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and other militant organizations.

Pertinently, this is the third such action against militants operating from across the border.

Earlier on Thursday NIA attached the property of Mushtaq Ahmad Zargar alias ‘Latram’ - founder and chief commander of Al-Umar Mujahideen in Nowhatta area of Srinagar and on Friday, the property of TRP militant who is operating from Pakistan, Basit Reshi was attached in Sopore area.

SRINAGAR — National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday attached the property of a Hizbul Mujahideen commander (based in Pakistan) Basit Reshi in Sopore area of north Kashmir, officials said here.

Basit, affiliated with Pak based militant organization - Hizbul Mujahideen and a resident of Hardshiva in Sopore was declared a designated "Terrorist" under the UAPA (a stringent act legislated to control militant activities) by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) recently. The NIA stated that Basit is currently working for The Resistance Front (TRF).

An official told the news agency KNO that the immovable property (agriculture land) around nine marlas falling under the Khasra No. 1962, 1945 at Edipora in Zaingeer Tehsil was attached by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) which was accompanied by the Jammu and Kashmir Police by the order of Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, dated 13-02-2023.

Basit, who as per the officials is currently in Pakistan, was involved in subversive activities and coordinating target killings in Jammu and Kashmir. "Basit had planned and executed an attack on a police guard post at Tujar Sharief on August 18, 2015, in which police personnel and a civilian were killed," they said.

Reshi is presently involved in the terror activities of TRF. He manages and supplies arms/ammunition as well as funds for TRF from across the border, they added.

"Basit was 14 years old, a Class 9th student when he left his home and since then, they have had no input from him. Even in the year 2017, the rumors of Basit being killed by some unknown gunmen were also doing rounds, but God knows better where he is," said Reshi's family.

It is pertinent to mention that this is the second such action by the NIA teams. Earlier on Thursday, it attached the property of Mushtaq Ahmad Zargar alias ‘Latram’ - founder and chief commander of Al-Umar Mujahideen in Nowhatta area of Srinagar.

Meanwhile, in a handout, NIA said that continuing the strong action against 'terrorists' operating from Pakistan soil, the NIA has attached the property of Basit Ahmad Reshi son of Mohd Ramzan Reshi, located in district Baramulla. This action closely follows the attachment of the Srinagar-based property of Mushtaq Zargar alias Latram, the founder and Chief Commander of Al-Umar Mujahideen yesterday.

Basit Ahmad Reshi is a ‘listed terrorist’ under the UA(P) Act and has been operating from Pakistan after his exfiltration to Pakistan. He has been found funding 'terror activities' and acts in the valley, it reads.

Basit Ahmad Reshi joined the militant ranks in 2015 and was involved in the planning and execution of a 'terror attack' at Police Guard Post in Sopore that killed one Constable and injured others. Basit was earlier associated with the banned 'terrorist' outfit Hizbul-Mujahideen and later exfiltrated to Pakistan.

Basit Ahmad Reshi is presently involved in 'terror activities' of The Resistance Front' (TRF) and manages and supplies arms/ammunition as well as funds for TRF from across the border.

Reshi’s agricultural land measuring 9.25 marlas has been attached under the provisions of UA(P) Act. Representatives of the State government and State Police assisted the NIA in the attachment process.

To date, NIA has attached the properties of five designated 'terrorists', namely US-based Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, Canada-based Hardeep Singh Nijjar, and Pakistan-based terrorists - Mushtaq Zargar alias Latram, Basit Ahmad Pir and KCF (Panjwar) Paramjit Singh alias Panjwar.

In addition, NIA recently attached, under UAPA, the Hurriyat Office in Srinagar, which was owned in part by Nayeem Khan, an accused charge-sheeted by the NIA in the Hurriyat funding case.

SRINAGAR — A day after militant outfit The Resistance Front (TRF) was declared as a terrorist organization, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) banned the People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), an offshoot of militant outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed, under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for carrying out 'terror' activities in Kashmir.

"PAFF is a proxy outfit of Maulana Masood Azhar-led Jaish-e-Mohammed and was involved in terror acts and issuing threats to Indian security forces, political leaders, civilians in J&K, and other states," MHA said in a notification.

The MHA said that the outfit had emerged in the year 2019 as a proxy outfit of Jaish-e-Mohammed, a proscribed militant organization listed at serial number 6 of the First Schedule under the UAPA.

"It regularly issues threats to Indian security forces, political leaders, civilians working in Jammu-Kashmir from other states and is involved, along with other organizations, in conspiring pro-actively physically and in social media to undertake violent terrorist acts and Jammu-Kashmir and other major cities in India,” it said.

The MHA also declared Arbaz Ahmad Mir, a Lashkar-e-Taiba operative who currently is based in Pakistan, as an “individual terrorist” under the fourth schedule of UAPA. Mir, according to the government, was the main accused in the targeted killing of Rajni Bala, a school teacher in Kulgam in May last year.

Centre declares Dr Asif Maqbool as 'terrorist' under UAPA

The Union Home Ministry on Saturday declared Dr. Asif Maqbool, who is based in Saudi Arabia, a 'terrorist' under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention Act)-1967.

In a notification, the MHA said that Dr. Asif Maqbool, who is a resident of Bandey Payeen, Wagoora, Baramulla, presently based at Daman, Ash Sharqiyah, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, is associated with Hizb-ul-Muhahideen.

“Dr. Asif Maqbool Dar is involved in instigating or provoking the youth of Kashmir Valley for terrorist activities by using social media platforms,” reads the notification.

According to the MHA, Dr. Asif Maqbool Dar is one of the leading radical voices on social media and is involved in nefariously influencing Kashmiri youth to take up arms against the Indian government and security forces.

The MHA further said that "Dr. Asif Maqbool Dar is accused in a case investigated by the National Investigating Agency relating to a conspiracy hatched by the cadres of the terrorist organization to undertake violent terrorist acts in Jammu and Kashmir and major cities in India including New Delhi on the direction of handlers based across the border".

Dr. Asif Maqbool is the 52nd person to be declared as a terrorist under the UAPA.

SRINAGAR — The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Thursday declared militant outfit The Resistance Front (TRF), which the Jammu and Kashmir Police say is an offshoot of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), as a “terrorist” organization.

In an order, a copy of which lies with the news agency KNO, MHA said TRF is recruiting youth through the online medium for the furtherance of terrorist activities and it has been involved in carrying out propaganda on terror activities.

It said TRF is involved in the recruitment of terrorists, infiltration of terrorists, and smuggling of weapons and narcotics from Pakistan into Jammu and Kashmir.

“TRF is involved in psychological operations on social media platforms for inciting people of Jammu and Kashmir to join terrorist outfits against Indian State and Sheikh Sajjad Gul is a Commander of the TRF and has been designated as a terrorist under the Fourth Schedule of the said Act,” it said.

It also said that the activities of the TRF are detrimental to the national security and sovereignty of India as a large number of cases have been registered against the members and associates of this outfit.

It added the Central government believes that the outfit is involved in terrorism and has committed and participated in various acts of terrorism in India.

“The TRF came into existence in the year 2019 as a proxy outfit of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a proscribed organization listed at serial number 5 of the First Schedule under the said Act,” it said.

SRINAGAR — Police on Monday claimed to have arrested two hybrid militants of the outfit The Resistance Front, an offshoot of Lashkar-i-Toiba, in Chanapora area of central Kashmir’s Srinagar district.

Inspector-General of Police Kashmir Vijay Kumar told GNS that two LeT/TRF hybrid militants were arrested from Chanapora area.

"They were planning target killings as 15 pistols were recovered from their possession which are used in hit and run cases. These kinds of modules will be busted continuously in future too," the top cop added.

Meanwhile, a tweet quoting Inspector General of Police Kashmir Vijay Kumar on the 'Kashmir Police Zone' handle said, "Srinagar Police arrested 2 local hybrid militants of militant outfit LeT/TRF. Incriminating materials, arms & ammn including 15 pistols, 30 magazines, 300 rounds & 1 silencer recovered. Case registered. Investigation going on. It is a big success for Police."

SRINAGAR — Four militants and their associates have been arrested by police in connection with a grenade blast in which an employee of a newly-opened wine shop was killed and three others were injured in Baramulla district on May 17, officials said on Thursday.

SSP Baramulla Rayees Mohammad Bhat (IPS), while talking exclusively to GNS, said that the militant module of LeT (TRF), "which not only planned the attack on the wine shop recently but was involved in multiple other attacks", was cracked with the arrest of four militants and an associate using “both human and technical resources”.

The officer said that five pistols, 23 grenades, one “suspicious package (likely IED)” besides seven magazines, 205 rounds of ammunition and four cleaning rods along with a bike used in the attack on the wine shop have been seized from their possession. The arrested militants have been identified as Shahid Ahmad, Safeer, Adil Ahmad, Faisal and Atif.

Besides the attack on the wine shop, the module was involved in grenade throwing in town and firing attacks etc over a period of time, the officer said.

The officer said that it is a major success for the police as the module was part of the "Falcon Squad of LeT (TRF)."

At around 2010 hours on May 17, militants hurled a grenade inside the newly opened wine shop at Dewan Bagh Baramulla, injuring four employees. One of them, Ranjit Singh son of Kishan Lal of Bhakri Rajouri, succumbed to injuries within an hour while three others — Govardhan Singh, Ravi Kumar, both residents of Billawar Kathua and Govind Singh of Kangra Rajouri - are under treatment.

Soon after the attack, police in a statement said that two militants riding on a bike stopped near the wine shop. Subsequently, the pillion rider “wearing a Burka” walked to the porthole of the wine shop and “dropped” a grenade inside it. “Thereafter, (they) fled away on the bike from the spot.”

BANDIPORA — Jammu and Kashmir Police on Monday claimed to have arrested a recently joined Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) / The Resistance Front (TRF) militant in the orchards of Lawaypora area of north Kashmir's Bandipora district.

Police officials told the news agency Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that they received specific input regarding the presence of recently joined LeT (TRF) militant in the orchards of Lawaypora area.

"Acting on this information, a joint CASO was launched by Bandipora Police, 14 RR and 3Bn CRPF and one youth identified as Amir Tariq Khan alias Waleed son of Tariq Ahmad Khan, a resident of Lawaypora Bandipora was arrested," they said.

The police said that the said youth's photograph regarding the joining of TRF militant outfit went viral on social media on April 13, 2022.

"In this regard, cognizance has been taken in Police Station Bandipora under the relevant section of law and further investigation taken up," the police added.

SRINAGAR — The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has announced a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh against three absconding TRF militants.

An NIA spokesman identified the accused as Sajjad Gul alias Sheikh Saijad alias Sheikh Sajad alias Sheikh Sajad Gul alias Sheikh Zaid son of Ghulam Ahmed, resident of Ansari Lane, HMT Colony, Bemina, Srinagar; Salem Rehmani alias Abu Saad, a resident of Nawab Shah, Sindh Pakistan; Basit Ahmed Dar son of Late Abdul Rashid Dar of Redwani Payeen, District Kulgam and Saifullah Sajid Jatt, a resident of village Shangamanga, District Kasur, Punjab, Pakistan.

The four are affiliated with The Resistance Front (TRF), a frontal outfit of Lashkar-i-Toiba (LeT), the NIA said.

It said that all the four militants are wanted in case RC 32/2021/NIA/DLI.

SRINAGAR — Police on Thursday said that a “Pakistani” militant who was active from last six months in Srinagar was killed in a brief shootout in Hazratbal area of the summer capital of J&K.

“A police party was tracking him and his aim was to carry attack on the police guard at the shrine and snatch his rifle,” Inspector general of Police Vijay Kumar told reporters at the scene. “Soon after seeing the police party he fired with pistol and the fire was retaliated, leading to the killing of the militant,” the top police officer said, adding, “He was a Pakistani and was active from last six months. His video had also gone viral recently,” he said. He said two more militants fled from the scene and “we are tracking them using CCTVs etc.”

To a question by a journalist that how police see the attack near Hazratbal given the faith of the people from all religions with the place, he said, “The aim, like the incident in Pulwama mosque today and at this shrine, was to hurt the religious sentiments and create law and order problem.” He said that pistol has been recovered from site at Hazratbal.

IGP Kashmir termed the Haider’s killing in Srinagar as a “big success and congratulated the Police for conducting successful operation without any collateral damage especially to the nearby historical religious place.”

Meanwhile, the IGP told GNS that killed militant has been identified as Haider and he was a TRF commander.

Later in a statement this evening Police gave full identification of the killed as Manzoor alias Haider alias Hamzah, a Pakistani national. “The killed (militant) along with two other (militants) who managed to escape from the spot were on a mission to snatch weapon from the police personnel guarding the Hazratbal Shrine,” a police spokesperson said, adding, “The timely action of small police party who were tracking them led to the (killing) of (militant). Efforts are on to track the other two (militants) who fled from the spot”

As per police records, the spokesperson said, Haider was a close associate of militant commander Mehran LeT (TRF) and “was involved in several cases.”