Four days after the month-long halt of combat operations against militants in Kashmir valley, security forces on Friday issued a list of 22 most wanted militants active in Jammu and Kashmir.
Early on the day, Indian Army neutralised one of the listed terrorists. Islamic State Jammu and Kashmir (ISJK) terror commander Dawood Sofi along with three other aides were gunned down in an encounter with security forces in Anantnag area of Jammu and Kashmir. Killing of Sofi has confirmed the presence of ISIS in Kashmir valley even as security forces have been denying footprints of the global terror outfit in Jammu and Kashmir.
After the month-long suspension of combat operations in the holy month of Ramadan, the Indian Army has relaunched its 'Operational All Out'. Since then, Army's operations have been successful with a total 11 militants killed in separate operations. Incidentally, no reports of stone-pelting on Army convoy have been reported during these operations.
"With help of local police, the Army is getting concrete actionable intelligence inputs, which led to success of these operations. Now, our next target will be to eliminate these 22 most wanted terrorists. Killing of the top leadership of militant outfits will deal a body blow to the terrorism in the Kashmir valley," said senior defence official.
So far, this year the security forces have killed 75 militants.
Sources said out of these 22, 11 are from Hizbul Mujahideen, seven from Lashkar-e-Taiba, two from Jaish-e-Mohammed and one each from Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind and ISJK. However, early today, ISJK's Dawood Sofi has been killed by the security forces. Out of the seven LeT militants, three are of Pakistan origin. Intelligence sources suspect that majority of these most wanted militants could be hiding in parts of south Kashmir, which has been hub of terror activities in the recent past.
Army sources believe that the month-long period has given time for militants to regroup. Sources maintained that though the Army has killed at least 22 infiltrators on the Line of Control in last one month, it suspects an equal number may have sneaked into the hinterland, which is quite alarming.
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While there were 61 terror attacks during the month of Ramadan, nine security personnel, including four from the Army, were killed. Six civilians were also killed during the same period. However, 24 militants were gunned down by security forces during the counter-infiltration operations continued during Ramadan.
Now, after the BJP pulled out from PDP government in the state, politics has also taken a front seat in the hilly state.
Days after the breakup, the political slugfest has only worsened. Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said many civilians were dying at the hands of the armed forces. The BJP took umbrage at this statement. "This is irresponsible, shameful and deeply regrettable. The person making this statement has also been the state chief minister. The person who has seen the terrorism," Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said.
Prasad went on to give figures to clarify how more terrorists have been killed during the NDA regime than the UPA. "In 2012, when the UPA government was in power, 72 terrorists were killed in Jammu and Kashmir, a year later in 2013 it was 67. In June 2014 when we came to power, 110 terrorists were killed. In 2015, it was 108; 150 in 2016; 217 in 2017 and 75 so far this year. This presents the story of your and our government respectively," Prasad said.
The law minister also accused Azad of making statements which were allegedly used by the terror group LeT for their own propaganda. "Azad's statements had made people of Pakistan, and terrorists based there the happiest. What is this politics that is prompting them to stand with Pakistan?" Prasad questioned.
The list of most wanted terrorists
Hizbul Mujahideen
Mohd Ashraf Khan alias Ashraf Moulvi, resident of Kokernag, Anantnag; Category – A+;
date of joining: September 2016
Altaf Ahmad Dar alias Altaf Kachroo (division commander in south Kashmir), resident of Hawoora, Kulgam; Category – A++; date of joining: 2006
Mohd Abbas Sheikh, resident of Kaimuh, Kulgam; Category – A+; date of joining: March 2015
Umar Majeed Ganai, resident of Such, Kulgam; Category – A++; date of joining: December 2015
Saifullah Mir (district commander in Pulwama), resident of Malangpur, Pulwama; Category – A; date of joining: October 2014
Zeenat-ul-Islam, resident of Sugan, Shopian; Category – A++; date of joining: November 2015
Riyaz Ahmad Naikoo (chief operational commander, Kashmir), resident of Tokun, Awantipur; Category – A++; date of joining: December 2012
Latif Ahmad Dar alias Haroon, resident of Dogirpur, Awantipur; Category – A; date of joining: October 2014
Umar Fayaz Lone, resident of Tral, Awantipur; Category – A; date of joining: April 2016
Manan Wani ( AMU research scholar), resident of Kupwara; Category – B; date of joining: January 2018.
Junaid Ashraf Sehrai (son of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat chairman Ashraf Sehrai ), Category – B; date of joining: March 2018
Lashkar-e-Taiba
Abu Muslim, resident of Pakistan, operates in Hajan, Category – Foreign Terrorist / A+; date of joining: 2017
Abu Zargam alias Mohd Bhai, resident of Pakistan, operates in Hajan, Category – Foreign Terrorist / A+; date of joining: 2015
Azad Ahmad Malik alias Dada (LeT district commander Anantnag), resident of Malikpura, Bijbiara, Anantag, Category –A; date of joining: December 2016
Shakoor Ahmad Dar (LeT district commander, Kulgam), resident of Tengpora, Kulgam, Category – A+; date of joining: September 2016
Mohd Naveed Jad, resident of Pakistan, operates in Pulwama, Category –FT/A+; date of joining: 2012
Riyaz Ahmad Dar, resident of Sethargun, Pulwama, Category – A; date of joining: July 2015
Mustaq Ahmad Mir, resident of Chak Cholan, Shopian, Category – A++; date of joining: June 2014
Jaish-e-Mohammed
Zahid Ahmad Wani, resident of Karimabad, Pulwama; date of joining: June 2017
Mudasir Ahmad Khan, resident of Midur, Awantipur; date of joining: January 2018
Ansar Ghazwat ul-Hind
Zakir Rashid Bhat alias Zakir Musa (AGH commander), resident of Tral, Awantipur, Category – A++; date of joining: July 2013
ISJK (killed on 22 June 2018)
Dawood Ahmad Sofi alias Danish (ISJK chief), resident of HMT Srinagar, Category – A++; date of joining: August 2016