The targeted killing of a policeman in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag and the two non-Kashmiri labourers in Kulgam were orchestrated by Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Latif Bhat, a news report said. Bhat was reportedly aided by one of his associates, identified as Waris Shah, who provided logistical support and a recce for the attacks.
Latif Bhat had made news when he was pinned down alongside top Lashkar commander Zakir Ganai in early July, NDTV said in a report. They were pursued after being spotted by surveillance cameras in an orchard.
While Ganai was eliminated by the security forces after an encounter that took five days, Latif Bhat managed to escape, the report added. Ganai's body was recovered from the Saidpora area in South Kashmir.
A theory held by security agencies is that Bhat is likely to have managed to reactivate terrorist sleeper cells in the region, which are tasked to murder non-locals and security personnel, the NDTV report claimed. It is quite possible that he got the support of handlers across the border in Pakistan.
The use of pistols also hints that terror sleeper cells were behind the attack. Their strategy is to hide among the crowd after pulling the trigger at the unsuspecting targets. Since they don't carry any heavy arms, hiding in plain sight becomes easier.
Chhattisgarh natives Deepak Ratray and Bopinder, both in their 20s, were killed in a terrorist attack at a brick kiln in the Kelam area of south Kashmir's Kulgam district late on Friday evening. While Deepak died on the spot, Bopinder succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment.
On July 22, Jammu and Kashmir Police head constable Ashiq Hussain was shot dead by a lone terrorist in the Lal Chowk area of Anantnag while he was on Amarnath Yatra duty.
On February 7, 2024, two non-local workers from Punjab, Amritpal Singh and Rohit Masih, were shot dead by a terrorist in the Shaheed Gunj area of Srinagar.
