Army clarifies, says Tariq Pandita 'apprehended' not 'surrendered'(Update)

Clearing the air surrounding the reports that a close-aide of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani has surrendered, the Indian Army on Saturday said the top Hizbul operative Taqir Pandita was in fact apprehended by the Army in a well 'coordinated swift operation' on Newa-Pinglana road of Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir.

Earlier, reports had started making rounds that Taqir Pandita, a cousin of slain Naseer Pandit of Pulwama's Kareemabad, had surrendered before police in wee hours today.

Army's Northern Command, in a statement, said that they had formed a mobile vehicle check post, to nab the dreaded operative based in specific intelligence inputs on his movements.

"The move of terrorist was kept under constant surveillance as the terrorist closed in, he was apprehended by the team of Rashtriya Rifle battalion. Along with one 9 mm pistol, two Chinese grenades and other war like stores were recovered from the terrorist. The terrorist was involved in many terror related incidents in Pulwama area," the statement said.

According to reports, both police and the Army have rubbished the 'surrender' theory, saying the nabbing of the militant was a well calibrated and planned effort.

"No militant has surrendered before army in Pulwama," N.N. Joshi, an army PRO, told Kashmir headlines.

The nabbing of Tariq comes as a major blow to Burhan Wani, who has emerged as the new poster boy of Kashmir militancy in recent times.

Tariq, a resident of Kareemabaad, was key member of HM (Burhan Wani) group, which was under the radar of security agencies.

Earlier this month, three Hizbul militants were neutralised in an encounter with the security forces in Avantipora in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir.

Last year in April, another close aide of Wani, Naseer Ahmad Pandit, was gunned down by forces in Shopian district.

Naseer Ahmad Pandit was a former police constable, who used to work as a guard at the residence of a former Jammu and Kashmir minister. He had reportedly escaped with his service rifle to join Burhan-led HM.

Burhan Wani, 21, who is son of a government school principal, is known for inciting youth to join the armed rebellion by posting videos and pictures on social networking sites.

According to reports, his pictures in fatigues and with a rifle and a video giving a sermon to people about launching a jihad had gone viral in the valley sometime back.

Reports also say that about 30 youth have joined Hizb-ul-Mujahideen in South Kashmir this year alone.