Hizbul module busted in J&K’s Handwara, two militants held
Police say militants, both residents of Awantipora, were radicalising young men through social media
Security forces busted a Hizbul Mujahideen module when they arrested two militants in Jammu & Kashmir’s Handwara on Monday. Two supporters of the militant outfit were also nabbed in Awantipora.
The militants, both residents of Awantipora, were recruiting young men by radicalising them through social media and were also responsible for acquiring arms, police sources said.
“They were misusing web chats to hatch and execute terrorist conspiracies,’’ a Srinagarbased police spokesperson said. Police’s cyber surveillance unit had found incriminating material after going through their social media accounts. The two, identified as Mehrajudin and Obaid Shafi Malla, were in Handwara to receive ammunition and other war-like stores for their outfit in south Kashmir, the spokesperson said.
South Kashmir is the hotbed of insurgency. Of the 200 militants active in the Valley, 99 are from the southern districts, say police. Acting on information about the presence of militants, a joint team of police and army’s 21 Rashtriya Rifle set up barricades at Chogal, the spokesperson said. They tried to flee the check point but were nabbed and a huge cache of arms and ammunition was recovered from them, the spokesperson said.
The duo led them to two Hizbul supporters, known as overground workers in police parlance, who were arrested from Awantipora.
Security forces have stepped up offensive in the Valley, bringing back search operations after a gap of 15 years. Militants have targeted troops and security installations in recent months though streets have been calmer this summer compared to last year when violent protests left around 100 people, most of them civilians, dead.