Militant commander Zakir Musa, who broke ranks with Hizbul Mujahideen to pursue jihad for Islam in Kashmir, has been named as Ameer (chief) of Al Qaeda linked new Jihadist group `Ansar Ghazwat-Ul-Hind’ in Kashmir.
This is for the first time in the 27 year insurgency in Kashmir that the global jihadist group has made an indirect entry into the restive Kashmir.
Musa, an engineering college dropout, had joined Hizbul Mujahedeen when slain HM commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani was leading the group in south Kashmir.
But after Wani's killing, Musa parted ways with Hizbul to pursue jihad for establishing a caliphate in Kashmir.
A statement in English and Urdu posted on the Twitter, Ansar Ghazwat-Ul-Hind, said a new movement of Jihad has been founded by the companions of Burhan Wani under the leadership of Zakir Musa.
“After the martyrdom of heroic Mujahid Burhan Wani, the Jihad in Kashmir has entered a stage of awakening as the Muslim Nation of Kashmir is committed to carrying the flag of Jihad to repel the aggression of tyrant Indian invaders. And through Jihad and with the aid of Allah only we will liberate our homeland Kashmir,” the statement said.
Official media of the 'Ansar Ghazwat-Ul-Hind’ has been named Al Hurr, which will handle the media campaign of the outfit.
“An important and detailed statement about Ansar Ghazwat-Ul-Hind will be released by this media by the will of Allah,” the statement said.
A senior officer from police's secret service said they have taken note of the development and will monitor the activities of the new group.
DIG of Police for North Kashmir Nitish Kumar tweeted: “New franchisees, newer multinational brands...same creaking market of Kashmir”.
A resident of Noorpora, Tral in Pulwama, Zakir had dropped out of the civil engineering at a Chandigarh college and joined Hizbul in 2013.
His father Abdul Rashid Bhat is a senior government engineer.
United Jihad Council (UJC), the umbrella group of over a dozen Kashmiri militant outfits based in Pakistan occupied Kashmir, distanced itself from the outfit as their struggle was limited to Kashmir.
“There is neither any place nor any requirement for any global militant outfits, be it Islamic State, Al Qaeda or any other organisation,'' said UJC chairman Syed Salahuddin. ''We have reports that outfits like Islamic State are being introduced by India to counter the militants and unleash a bloodbath in Kashmir,” he said.
Salahuddin who was recently designated as global terrorist by the US said the new outfit was a handiwork of Indian agencies to defame the Kashmir struggle.
Analysts believe the linking of Kashmir militancy with Al Qaeda create a negative impression about the situation in Kashmir. They believe such a move will make it difficult for the international community to sympathise with the separatist movement in Kashmir.
