Srinagar
Telangana Police on Wednesday said that one of the three militants killed in an operation at Hakoora, in south Kashmir, on Monday night came from Manuguru, in Bhadradri Kothagudem district of Telangana, reported Indian Express.
A report published by Indian Express said that Telangana Police has identified the slain militant as Mohmmed Toufeeq, 26.
The police said Toufeeq left home in Manuguru sub-division about a year ago to join Ansar ul Gazwat ul Hind, the Al-Qaida affiliate operating in Jammu and Kashmir, reports said.
Indian Express quoted Bhadradri Kothagudem’s Superintendent of Police Ambar Kishore Jha saying, “there were no cases against Toufeeq in the district, or anywhere in Telangana, adding that “We have very sketchy details (about him). We are trying to trace his family,” Jha said.
According to Telangana Police, Toufeeq was radicalised into the Islamic State ideology through social media.
Soon after the encounter got over late on Monday, J&K Police had identified two of the militants killed as Mohammad Eisa Fazili (22) of Soura, Srinagar, and Syed Owais Shafi (22) of Kokernag, Islamabad, and the third as a foreigner.
On Tuesday evening, Al Nasr, which some believe is the news bulletin of Ansar ul Gazwat ul Hind, said that the third militant was from Telangana and identified him as Mohammad Toufeeq.
Posts on social media said that he could be Abu Zarar Al Hindi, a resident of Hyderabad. Abu Zarar Al Hindi was Toufeeq’s assumed name among the militant ranks, sources said.
A senior police officer in south Kashmir said they have collected DNA and “verifying details” about the third militant killed. “As of now, the third militant was a foreigner. After claims on social media we are further checking details,” the report mentioned.
The police buried the body — of the militant now identified as Toufeeq — as unidentified at Gantmulla, in Baramulla district, where foreign militants killed in encounters are buried, reported Indian Express.
