Hizb commander Bhat’s death leads to protests, one civilian killed
SRINAGAR: A top Hizbul Muhajideen commander and his associate were killed by security forces in Kashmir on Saturday, police said, sparking violent protests across the valley that left one civilian dead and many others injured.
Pakistan described the incidents as “extra-judicial killings” and asked the international community to stop the “ruthless killing of defenceless Kashmiris”. India blames Pakistan for waging a proxy war in Kashmir by sending trained militants.
Kashmir is on the boil since the killing of Wani — a poster-boy of homegrown militancy — deepened anti-India sentiments in the valley. Nearly 100 people were killed in street protests and hundreds of others were blinded or maimed by pellets fired by forces.
Recent videos of alleged human right violations by forces, including the parading of a Kashmiri man tied to an army vehicle, have also fanned public anger.
On Saturday, the government cut mobile internet as protests spread to capital Srinagar where people rushed to stock fuel fearing prolonged unrest. The separatist Hurriyat Conference called a two-day shutdown starting Sunday.
“Two militants were killed in the encounter, one has been identified as Sabzar Bhat, commander of Hizbul Mujahideen,” said SP Pani, South Kashmir director general of police. Bhat carried a reward of ₹10 lakh on him.
Reporters saw smoke billowing from the burnt out, two-storey house where Bhat was killed. One jawan was seen carrying what appeared to be two assault rifles of the slain militants.
The bearded Bhat – a contrast to the clean-shaven Wani — was among a group of young, techsavvy militants who used social media to spread their ideology and woo the youth to their cause.
After Wani’s death, the HM named one Mehmood Gaznavi as the new Kashmir commander.
It was widely believed it was an alias of Bhat.
The news of Bhat’s death triggered widespread protests in Pulwama, Shopian, Anantnag, Sopore, Kupwara and Srinagar, and large parts of the valley shut down. In many places, protesters pelted stones at forces, who retaliated with pellets and bullets, sources said.
A senior Pulwama district official confirmed the death of the civilian in “crossfiring” by security forces near the encounter site in Tral in south Kashmir, which has emerged as a hotbed of militancy. SRINAGAR: Sabzar Bhat picked up a gun in April 2015 to become a militant. He lasted barely two years. But by the time he was killed on Saturday, police say the 27-yearold had a reward of ₹10 lakh on his head.
Bhat was a close aide of Hizbul Mujahedeen commander Burhan Wani, who was gunned down by security forces last year. He joined the ranks of militants around the time Wani’s brother, Khalid Muzaffar Wani, was killed by security forces.
The army had said Khalid was killed in an encounter after a patrol came under fire from militants and that he was an overground Hizbul worker. Khalid’s family claimed he was innocent but was “tortured to death” for being Burhan’s elder brother.
Bhat was quite close to Wani with some reports even suggesting he was the one Wani trusted the most. In a photo that was widely shared on social media, the two were seen standing together, Wani with his short hair and trimmed beard and Bhat with a thick beard and wearing a woollen cap.
Bhat and Wani belonged to the first batch of tech-savvy new-age local militants in Kashmir. Bhat also featured in the infamous photograph of 11 militants with Wani at the centre of it.
But unlike Wani, Bhat kept a low profile on social media. After Wani was killed, news went around that Bhat would possibly be named by Hizb as the successor. But the militant body finally named one Mehmood Gaznavi as its new commander in Kashmir.
And while militant Zakir Musa — who recently made headlines after threatening to behead separatists and then announcing a departure from Hizb — routinely uploaded video messages, none came from Bhat.
But absence from social media did not dent his support base, particularly among youth in south Kashmir. Local sources say Bhat, a native of Rathsuna village in Tral, has participated in many stone-pelting protests in the area before joining militant ranks. Many referred to Bhat as “Sab Don”, sources add. As a militant, Sabzar operated in south Kashmir, in and around Tral.
Srinagar, May 27
Six militants were killed as the Army foiled a major infiltration bid last night in Rampur sector of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.The bid was foiled hours after the Army thwarted a Pakistan Border Action Team (BAT) attack and killed two militants in the neighbouring Uri sector. The Army said the infiltration attempt was foiled near Rustum post between Uri and Gulmarg when soldiers noticed the movement of heavily armed militants between the Line of Control and the fence, also known as Anti-Insurgency Obstacle System, around 8 pm.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)Defence sources said the movement of the infiltrators was picked up and they were allowed to advance. “As they came in, they were challenged. The gunfight continued for at least two hours. A tight cordon was maintained the entire night in the thick forest area. Searches were carried out in the morning and we first recovered four bodies of terrorists while two more were found later,” they said.Four AK rifles, two pistols, an under-barrel grenade launcher and war-like stores were seized from the site. The identity and group affiliation of the militants was being ascertained, they said.Meanwhile, the Udhampur-based defence spokesman of the Northern Command said security forces had mounted operations to thwart attempts by Pakistan to boost terror activities from across the Line of Control. — TNS