One of the longest surviving terrorists in Kashmir, Abdul Qayoom Najar, was killed during an infiltration bid in north Kashmir’s Uri area on Tuesday.
Najar was active in Kashmir since 1999 but has crossed over to Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK) in 2015 and was returning to take command of the Hizbul Mujahideen outfit in Kashmir that suffered successive jolts in recent months, when he was killed.
Police have described Najar’s elimination as a “very significant achievement”.
The BJP’s national general secretary Ram Madhav was among the first to tweet the news announcing Najar’s death.
Sources said that on Tuesday morning, an encounter took place at the line of Control (loC) near Zorawar Post at lachipora in Uri sector resulting in
Najar’s killing.
However, the slain terrorist was not immediately identified as Najar and it was only in the evening that the security forces announced that the terrorist eliminated in the encounter was Najar.
The terrorist had been evading detection by using code names of Jansahib and Ishfaq. A resident of Mumkak pocket of Sopore, Najar was active in militancy since 1999.
“The terrorist had ex-filtrated to Pakistan in 2015 and was returning to take command of Hizbul Mujahideen. He was dispatched by United Jehad Council chief Syed Salahuddin to revive the Hizb outfit whose commanders of north Kashmir Pervaiz Wani alias Mubashir and south Kashmir commander Yasin Yatoo got killed recently," police sources said.
They said that Najar's return was necessitated because of wiping out of Hizb outfit from north Kashmir.
Police said Najar was involved in dozens of killings of civilians and personnel of police and security forces. Najar had briefly closed ranks with his parent outfit in 2015 when he developed severe differences with Hizb command and Hurriyat Conference leaders.
He later floated his own outfit lashkar-e-Islam that imposed ban on cellular network in north Kashmir region. His cadre attacked civilians associated with cellular phone operations including local vendors of SIM cards and owners of mobile tower premises.
“The killed terrorist was also involved in number of IED blasts carried out by HM in North Kashmir's Sopore, Pattan, Handwara and Baramulla areas,” police said.
The Hurriyat Conference denounced his actions and in retaliation the lashkar-e-Islam outfit targeted several workers of Hurriyat.
Sources said that Najar was feeling uneasy over the lifestyle of Hizb and Hurriyat leaders.
Najar was later recalled by Salahuddin to PoK. Sources said that he had crossed the Wagah border on a fake identity. During his stay in PoK he reconciled with Hizb
leadership.
“The killed terrorist was also involved in number of IED blasts carried out by HM in North Kashmir in Sopore, Pattan, Handwara and Baramulla.
Najar's killing was confirmed by BJP leader Ram Madhav, who has announced that Kashmir would be peaceful again in next six months. “longest surviving terrorist of Kashmir Qayoom Nazar killed today at lOC lassipora Uri,” Ram Madhav tweeted.