In less than a year, forces kill Burhan Wani’s successor too

SRINAGAR: In Kashmir now, the bullet is aimed between the eyes. Less than a year after Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was killed, security forces shot dead his successor Sabzar Bhat and another terrorist on Saturday, underlining the Narendra Modi government's aggressive approach to the new militancy in the valley.

After being on the back foot due to massive protests and subsequent violence since last year, the forces on Saturday succeeded in eliminating the top leadership of Kashmir's indigenous pro-Pakistan terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen that faced a major setback when its commander Zakir Musa quit two weeks ago over "ideological" differences on the objectives of the militant movement.

Sabzar Bhat (28) was Wani's close aide and took over the reins of Hizbul after Musa declared that he was fighting only for an Islamic state and not Pakistan or freedom. The Hizbul leaders in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) also reprimanded Musa for threatening to behead Hurriyat leaders.

On Saturday, during a gun battle that had begun and raged through Friday night at Saimoh village of militancy-hit area of Tral in south Kashmir's Pulwama district, besides Bhat and Faizan Muzzaffar of Hizbul, a civilian was also killed, triggering widespread protests and stone-pelting in several parts of the valley.

Mobile internet was snapped as soon as the appeals to help the trapped militants spread via Whatsapp groups of stone-pelters. The 3G and 4G cellular data services had been resumed only on Friday after a one-month ban in view of the improving law and order situation. BSNL broadband service was, however, functioning normally.

All educational institutions in Srinagar were shut after the news about the killings broke. Authorities announced restrictions in movement and imposed curfew in some parts of Srinagar following a two-day shutdown call by the separatists.

Official sources said on a specific input by Military Intelligence, 42 Rashtriya Rifles and Jammu and Kashmir Police launched a search operation in Saimoh village around 7.30pm on Friday. In an attempt to escape, the terrorists trapped in the cordon, opened fire on the security forces around 9.15pm. However, additional reinforcements of Special Operations Group, Awantipora and Tral, and 180 battalion of CRPF assisted the troops in conducting a combing operation in the area.

While conducting the searches, the joint team of forces intercepted the militant group in a house in the village and engaged them in a fierce gun fight. Sabzar Bhat alias Abu Zarar of Rathsuna and his aide Faizan Muzaffar Bhat (17) of Payeen were killed in the encounter. The third terrorist, Aadil Ahmad of Pakistan, fled from the encounter site, official sources said.

During the cross-firing, a civilian, Molvi Aqib Ahmad of Khanqah, was injured. He was rushed to the Tral hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

As soon as the news about the killing of Sabzar and two other terrorists spread via Whatsapp groups and social media, youth at several places, including Srinagar, threw stones at the vehicles and forced shutdown on shops and business houses.

This led to clashes between security forces and stone-pelters at many places across the valley. Nearly one dozen people, mostly youth, were injured in the clashes with the security forces. One tourist, Abjeet Yadav of Mumbai, was injured in stone pelting in Anantnag district.

People from various parts of the valley were seen marching towards Tral to attend the funeral of the militants whose bodies were handed over to their families. Separatists were heard chanting pro-Azadi and pro-Pakistan slogans through loudspeakers installed in mosques in south Kashmir, villagers said. J&K police chief SP Vaid, however, said the situation was under control.