LeT commander Abu Dujana killed
One dead as violence follows encounter; internet blocked, schools shut in Kashmir
SRINAGAR: Government forces killed a top commander of the Lashkar-e-Taiba in Kashmir on Tuesday, triggering street protests that left one person dead and prompted the authorities to shut down mobile internet and schools.
Police said Abu Dujana’s killing was a “huge achievement” for the government that has hardened its stand against militants after a recent spurt in violent street protests and attacks on security forces.
Late Monday night, police were tipped off about an “A++ target” meeting a woman in a village in south Kashmir. Around 4am, security forces raided a house where Dujana was said to be meeting his wife.
An hours-long gunfight followed, and after Dujana refused to surrender soldiers blew up the house. Dujana’s body was charred “nearly beyond recognition”. A local 15-year-old accomplice, identified as Arif Dar, was also killed. Dar’s family told Hindustan Times he joined the militants two years ago, leaving home with only ~70 and a cricket uniform in his backpack.
Police say Dujana crossed over from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) in 2010, and was “a master of disguise” who escaped multiple military traps and remained the longest-surviving militant from across the border. The 27-year-old carried a reward of ~15 lakh, but officials said he was lately a nuisance who harassed women.
Kashmir director general of police SP Vaid confirmed that Dujana was married but said it was not clear if the LeT commander had gone to meet her.
“He had married a local Kashmiri girl, today also he had gone to meet a girl, (but) can’t be sure if it was the same girl,” Vaid told Hindustan Times. The GOC of 15 Corps, Lt Gen. J Sandhu, told reporters that Dujana was less into militancy of late and more into “aiyashi”, an Urdu word that translates to debauchery.
Dujana’s killing came just over a year after the gunning down of top Hizbul Mujahideen leader Burhan Wani.
As news of Dujana’s death spread, thousands of Kashmir residents came out onto the streets and clashed with government forces, throwing stones at them. Troops retaliated by firing tear gas, pellet guns and bullets, killing a young man in Hakripora village near Bandipora, around 30 km from state capital Srinagar, witnesses and police said. Witnesses alleged police fired indiscriminately to break up a protest about an hour from the encounter site. A woman nurse was wounded inside a hospital in Pulwama town, south of Srinagar, one of several people injured by bullets, they said.
Wani’s killing in July last year sparked months-long street protests by stone-pelting civilians across Kashmir.
NEW DELHI : Slain Lashkar-eTaiba (LeT) commander Abu Dujana had managed to give security forces the slip more than a dozen times in the past one year, according to officials.
Described as very fast by the intelligence dossier, Dujana was finally neutralised early on Tuesday. His involvement with a woman in Pulwama finally led to his killing.
Anointed Lashkar commander for the south Kashmir following the killing of his predecessor Abu Qasim in 2015, Dujana — which is his nom de guerre and has been given to many Lashkar operatives in the Valley in the past — was involved with two women at least in Pulwama only.
While one was reportedly his wife another is believed to be his former girlfriend.
Security forces had been keeping a watch on his wife’s residence in Hakripora where he was spotted going on Monday night, which led to the launch of search and cordon operation in the area.
It is not for the first time that the involvement of militants with women has led to their fall in the Valley.
Security officials said Abdullah Uni, a top ranked Lashkar terrorist, was killed in 2011 following a tip-off from a woman he was seeing. Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani's location was revealed by his former girlfriend too. Wani’s killing last year in July led to wide-spread protests in the Valley.
“Of late, Dujana was not very active and another Lashkar operative Abu Ismail has taken in women,” said a security official.
Ismail is believed to be the mastermind of recent attack on a bus carrying Amarnath yatris.
His dossier says he was involved in the two attacks on the Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) in Pampore, near Srinagar last year. He was also involved in the attack on a BSF bus in Udhampur.
He also had a hand in a series of bank robberies in the Valley at Chari Sharif, Arihal and Ratnipora.
According the dossier, Ismail was short-tempered and it was his biggest his weakness.
Dujana, who joined militancy in 2010 at the age of 20, was believed to be from Balochistan in Pakistan.
Union home ministry spokesperson Ashok Prasad said Dujana replaced Abu Qasim as the Lashkar commander for south Kashmir after his killing in 2015.
“A local Lashkar militant Arif Nabi Dar was also killed in encounter along with Dujana,” added Prasad.
› his place. He was more involved Of late, Dujana was not very active and another Lashkar operative Abu Ismail had taken his place. Dujana was more involved in women. SECURITY OFFICIAL