Kashmir has 1 active local terrorist, says IG

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir Zone, Sujit Kumar speaks during a press conference, in Srinagar

Valley recruitment stopped this year: Police chief SRINAGAR: Kashmir has just one active local terrorist and recruitment in the valley completely stopped this year, while security forces were tracking a handful of foreign terrorists believed to be assisting him, J&K police IG Sujit Kumar said Thursday. Police identified the lone local terrorist as Mohammad Lateef Bhat, a resident of Khrewan Chader village in south Kashmir's Kulgam district. A Rs 15 lakh reward was announced in Aug for information leading to his arrest. Bhat is accused of killing a head constable and two migrant workers in separate attacks in Anantnag and Kulgam in July. He is believed to have joined terrorist ranks last year.

“No local has joined terrorist ranks this year. Local recruitment has completely dried up,” Kumar said. He added that the number of foreign terrorists could not be established as they kept moving between locations. “Giving their figure would be an exaggeration,” he said. Head constable Ashiq Hussain's murder on July 22 was the first terrorist attack in Kashmir since the massacre of 25 tourists and a local pony operator in Pahalgam on April 22 last year. On restrictions imposed on civilian traffic during Army convoy movement since the Pahalgam attack, Kumar said security protocols reflected past terrorist strikes and continuing threat inputs. He said the matter was on the radar and would be discussed with other agencies. On Oct 30, health minister Sakina Itoo had flagged ambulances being stuck and students missing classes because of highway closures during security transit. On narcoterrorism, Kumar said police registered 1,651 NDPS cases this year, arrested 1,941 people, seized 1,711 kg of contraband and over Rs 1 crore in cash. Properties worth Rs 154 crore were attached and 567 bank accounts frozen.