Bhat’s death leaves top spot in Hizb vacant

A few days after tjhe killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Sabzar Bhat in an encounter in Tral in South Kashmir, many names are doing rounds as contenders for the top spot by Hizbul Mujahideen.

While some media reports quoted intelligence source saying another top commander Riyaz Naikoo might be named chief , official sources told HT that there a few more contenders.

While Naikoo seems to be the best option after the group’s fall out with Zakir Musa, others like Yaseen Itoo and Sadam Paddar are also the contenders.

Naikoo, 30, is a post graduate, and the longest surving militant in Hizbul Mujahideen .

Yaseen on the other hand is oldest among the current lot of militants. According to sources, Itoo who goes with the alias Ghaznavi is the only among the current batch of militants who has a “pan district command’’.

“While most of the militants in groups of fours and fives, who operate in their own districts. The militants are not under one central command but only Itoo has a pan district hold,’’ said an official. Sadam Paddar another contender. Waseem Shah and Altaf Kachroo are also important. All of them carry a reward between ₹10 and ₹12 lakh.

Sources say Sabzar’s killing will also bring back focus on Lashkar militant Abu Dujana. “The group distinctions have also blurred , the hizb and Lashkar are seen working in coordination. So Abu Dujanas stature might also rise,’’ said an official.

Sources in the police are not sure about Hizbul strategy following Sabzar’s killing . They are sure however that the “commander ‘s death” will have an impact. “This will discourage a lot of boys who were intending to join militants,’’ said a source.

The Army has also made it clear that going after “the top commanders is going to be the future strategy”.

According to former Kashmir police chief Javeed Gillani, around 200 militants are currently active and 110 of them are locals while 99 of them are from South Kashmir.

Former Kerala minister A K Saseendran was booked by the chief judicial magistrate court in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday in connection with his alleged sleaze talk with a woman journalist of a TV channel.

Saseendran had to quit the government two months ago after Mangalam News channel released an audio clip containing the alleged phone conversation .

Initially the news channel claimed that Saseendran had sought sexual favours from a housewife. But later channel CEO A Ajith Kumar clarified that “a woman scribe had voluntarily come forward” to carry out the sting operation against the minister. HTC

ACCORDING TO FORMER KASHMIR POLICE CHIEF JAVEED GILLANI, AROUND 200 MILITANTS ARE ACTIVE AND 110 ARE LOCALS WHILE 99 ARE FROM SOUTH KASHMIR