Security forces facing new challenges in Kashmir

Journalist turned LeT terrorist gunned down in Srinagar

March 30, 2022

Terrorist outfits using Women OGWs to target security personnel

Ahead of the peak tourist season and Amarnath yatra scheduled to begin on June 30 this year the security apparatus in Jammu and Kashmir is gearing up to tackle a new threat from ‘hybrid‘ terrorists and women over ground workers in a big way.

The two recent terror crime-related incidents involving a burqa-clad woman and a journalist turned terrorist have not only surprised them but also brought out new challenges to the fore.

Late Tuesday evening a petrol bomb was hurled at the CRPF bunker in Sopore. As CCTV footage emerged from the spot it revealed an unidentified woman was hurling a petrol bomb targeting CRPF personnel.

The CCTV footage showed a woman clad in a burqa approaching the area where the CRPF personnel were stationed. Standing in the middle of the road the woman was seen hurling a petrol bomb toward the forces, after which she fled the area. Some passersby were also seen scrambling to safety after the blast. Meanwhile, CRPF personnel were seen using buckets of water to douse the fire.

The incident was reported around 7.00 p.m near the State Bank of India (SBI) near the main chowk in Sopore. The local police teams in the area were directed to identify the woman Overground Worker (OGW).

On Wednesday Inspector General of Police Vijay Kumar told a national news agency, “The woman who hurled a bomb at the CRPF bunker in Sopore yesterday has been identified”. She will be arrested soon, he added.

In the second incident, a joint team of security forces Wednesday morning gunned down two terrorists during an encounter in the Rainawari area of Srinagar.

After the encounter was over the security forces retrieved the bodies of slain terrorists for identification purposes. To their utter shock one of the terrorists, identified as Rayees Ahmad Bhat, turned out to be a former journalist who ran an online news portal ‘Valley News Service’ in Anantnag. According to police, Bhat had joined the terrorist ranks of Lashkar-e-Taiba in August last year and was categorized as ‘C‘ in the terrorists’ list of J&K police. In a statement, police said, two FIRs were already registered against him for terror crimes The involvement of a former journalist in terror crimes indicates a clear case of misuse of media.

The official Twitter handle of Kashmir Zone Police tweeted, “One of the killed categorized local terrorists of proscribed terror outfit LeT was carrying Identity Card (ID) of media. It indicates a clear case of misuse of media” IGP Kashmir”

Another terrorist killed in the encounter has been identified as Hilal Ahmad Rahm, a resident of Bijbehara. Hilal was also a ‘C’ categorized terrorist.

Kumar said that both were involved in several recent terror crimes including civilian killings.

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