Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, July 10

Three unidentified militants were killed during a gunfight as the Army foiled a fresh infiltration in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district.The gunfight erupted around midnight when the Army detected a group of militants close to the Line of Control in the Nowgam sector, 120 km northwest of Srinagar. They were trying to sneak into the Valley.“The militants were detected by the soldiers on duty close to the LoC. When they were challenged, the terrorists resorted to indiscriminate firing and were killed in the ensuing gun battle,” said Army Brigadier Neeraj Kumar Soni.Brig Soni said the search operation lasted over 18 hours resulting in elimination of militants and recovery of a large cache of war-like stores.The identity and the group affiliation of the slain militants could not be established immediately.This is the third infiltration that was successfully foiled in the Nowgam sector in the past two months.Militants have stepped up efforts to sneak into the Valley and sources said over 20 militants have managed to infiltrate ending May. Prior to the Nowgam gunfight, 32 militants were killed along the LoC in the Kashmir region by the Army.

 

Sandeep a welder-turned-LeT militant

Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, July 10

Sandeep Kumar Sharma in his twenties is possibly the first Hindu militant from outside state to be booked by the J&K Police for being part of the Lashkar-e-Toiba group.Investigations by the J&K Police have revealed that Sandeep, alias Adil, of Muzaffarnagar tehsil in Uttar Pardesh, was a welder and first came to the Valley in 2012. Since then, he had been working as a welder in south Kashmir during summer.“During winter, he would go to Patiala for employment. While working in Punjab, he came in contact with Shahid Ahmed, a resident of Kulgam, who was also working in Punjab. This year, he along with some of his Kashmir-based associates came from Patiala to Kashmir to loot ATMs and carry out other robberies in south Kashmir,” Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, Muneer Khan said in Srinagar.“After coming from Punjab, Sandeep along with Shahid, Muneeb Shah and Muzaffar Shah (whom he met in Patiala) started living in rented accommodation at Wanpoh in Kulgam for carrying out the robberies. They later met hardcore terrorist Shakoor Ahmad Dar of the Lashkar. The meeting with Shakoor was arranged by Muneeb and his associates and that was the beginning of Sandeep’s criminal activities. The militant utilised the services of Sandeep for looting ATMs. Four ATMs were looted and the booty was shared with Lashkar militants,” the IGP said.“Thereafter Sandeep became a hardcore terrorist and participated in at least three militant actions.”Sandeep was nabbed from the same house where Lashkar commander Bashir Lashkari was killed earlier this month. There have been few instances in the past where Hindus from far-flung areas of Rajouri, Reasi and Doda districts of the Jammu region have joined militant ranks, mainly of the Hizbul Mujahideen. Muslim militants from outside the state have also been killed in Kashmir in the over two-decade-long militancy.

In between looted ATMs

• Sandeep, alias Adil, of Muzaffarnagar tehsil in Uttar Pradesh, was a welder and first came to the Valley in 2012. He worked as a welder in south Kashmir during summer
• During winter, he would go to Patiala for employment. This year, Sandeep along with some of his Kashmir-based associates came from Patiala to Kashmir to loot ATMs
• Thereafter, Sandeep became a hardcore terrorist and participated in at least three militant actions