Hizbul, LeT militants go into hiding in Kashmir

With Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen jihadist organisations receiving major setbacks at the hands of security forces, Maulana Masood Azhar's Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad terror outfit has taken a frontal role in carrying out strikes on security forces.

Sources told that majority of Hizbul and LeT militants have gone into hiding in the upper reaches of south Kashmir after the killing of their six top commanders, including Sabzar Bhat, Junaid Matoo, Ayoub Lelhari, Bashir Lashkari, Abu Dujana and Mehmood Gaznavi in the five months. Besides, top commanders, nearly 132 militants were also killed in various gunfights this year in the Valley, especially in southern districts of Kulgam, Shopian, Pulwama and Anantnag. 

"It seems the militant handlers across the border have devised a policy to assign the job of carrying out fidayeen (suicide) attacks to Jaish militants in a bid to save the left-over militants of Hizbul and LeT," they said. "This is the reason why security forces have not been able to track the exact locations of militants despite conducting cordon-and-search operations in south Kashmir from the last two weeks." 

Since August 16 this year, when security forces killed top LeT commander Ayoub Lelhari in a gunfight in Pulwama, there has been no gunfight anywhere in Kashmir. However, on Saturday, eight security personnel, including four CRPF personnel and four policemen,



were killed when Jaish fidayeen attacked district police lines in Pulwama. Three fidayeen, who carried out the attack, were also killed in the retaliatory action by the security forces.

One of the three fidayeen killed at DPL Pulwama had reportedly scribbled "AGS (Afzal Guru Squad). Afzal Guru kaainteqaam (revenge for Afzal Guru's execution)" with his blood on a wall.

Inspector General Police (IGP) Kashmir, Muneer Khan said they have information that Hizbul and LeT militants have "gone underground" in the upper reaches of Tral area in Pulwama district following the killing of their top commanders in the recent months.

"Our investigations reveal that Jaish cadre has taken a frontal role in carrying out strikes on security forces," he said and added that since militants seem to have changed their strategy by going into hiding, police will also chalk out a new strategy to track them down. 

On reports that militants were asked by their handlers not to use mobile phones, Khan said, "It seems they militants) have damaged their old SIM cards. It is not possible for them to survive without mobile phones; they need to stay in touch with each other. They may have managed to get new numbers or may stay without mobile phones." Recently Hizbul had reportedly asked its cadres not to use cell phones, that over the years have proved fatal for militants operating in Kashmir.