SRINAGAR: Amid stepped-up operations, 12 active militant commanders of three outfits are on the radar of forces personnel, said Kashmir police chief.
As reported by The Tribune, they include five commanders from the Hizbul Mujahideen, four from Jaish-e-Mohammad, and three from the Lashkar-e-Toiba.
In the first half of this year, 118 militants, including top commanders of the Hizb, Jaish, Lashkar, and the Ansar Ghazwat-Ul-Hind, were killed in various gunbattles in the Valley. The top commanders killed were Riyaz Naikoo, the chief operational commander of the Hizb, Lashkar’s Haider, Jaish IED expert Abdur Rehman, alias Fouji Bhai, Burhan Koka of Ansar and Junaid Sehari of the Hizb.
“Now our target number one is Pakistani Jaish commander Adnan, known as ‘Lambu Bhai’ who is an IED expert. Another Jaish militant commander Waleed Bahi, a Pakistani and an IED expert, is also the most-wanted militant,” Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kashmir, Vijay Kumar is quoted to have said by the newspaper.
Jaish’s operational chief, who is known by the name of Gazi Abdul Rashid, too, features on the security radar.
“It is said that Ghazi is an ex-Pakistan army man. He is active in south Kashmir’s Khrew area,” Kumar said.
The IGP said in the Hizb, the operational chief of the outfit Saifullah Mir, alias Dr. Saifullah, is the most-wanted militant commander. Mir succeeded Riyaz Naikoo who was killed in a gunfight in May this year.
Besides, Hizb’s other senior commander Ashraf Molvi is in the focus of the security forces.
IGP Kumar said Usman bhai, the Lashkar commander who is involved in many attacks including the recent attack in north Kashmir’s Sopore is on the security radar.
