10 'overground workers' of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist booked in J-K's Kishtwar

The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Saturday registered a case against 10 'overground workers' of top Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Mohammad Amin alias "Jehangir Saroori", who has been active in Kishtwar district for the past three decades, a senior police official said.

"We have identified 10 persons who are providing support to Hizbul MUjahideen terrorist Jehangir Saroori and registered a case against them under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act," Senior Superintendent of Police, Kishtwar, Harmeet Singh Mehta told PTI.

He said the FIR was lodged at Dachan police station and efforts were being made to nab the accused.

They were allegedly involved in providing logistical support, finance, transport and working as porters for the terrorist, the officer said.

Saroori, the longest surviving terrorist who joined Hizbul Mujahideen in early 1990's, has evaded arrest and is hiding in the forests in Kishtwar.

He emerged as the brain behind the revival of terrorism in the district in 2018 after it was declared terrorism-free about a decade ago.

On October 23 last year, the police in Kishtwar announced a bounty of Rs 30 lakh on the head of Saroori and two of his associates -- Riyaz Ahmad alias "Hazari" and Mudassir Hussain.

The reward on the heads of the three terrorists was announced through posters pasted at different places in the hilly district, which was rocked by a series of terrorist-related incidents, including the killing of a senior BJP leader and an RSS functionary, since November 2018.

On September 28 last year, security forces achieved a major breakthrough against the terrorists active in the district when they killed three ultras, including Osama Bin Javed, wanted in connection with the targeted killings, in an encounter in nearby Ramban district while they were fleeing an offensive which saw over a dozen Hizbul Mujahideen members and overground workers arrested and several of their hideouts busted.

Senior BJP leader Anil Parihar and his brother Ajit Parihar were killed outside their house in Kishtwar town on November 1, 2018, while RSS functionary Chanderkant Sharma and his PSO were killed in the district hospital on April 9, 2019.