BY:Ajaz Ahmad War
Srinagar, March 16: Urban militancy is back in Kashmir after a lull of more than one decade . Srinagar hardly had any active militant for many years but that reality is changing fast.
Within six months of Srinagar being declared a militants-free zone, the J&K police recently released a list of nine “wanted militants”, with seven recruits identified from the city and operating from the capital.
According to the police records, Waseem Qadir Mir of Shahzadpora, Nowgam, Srinagar joined militancy on December 20, 2020; Shahid Khursheed from Methan, Chanapora, joined on February 6, 2021; Irfan Ahmed Sofi from Astan Mohalla, Natipora joined on December 14, 2020; Bilal Ahmed Bhat from Natipora joined on February 14, 2020 and Saqib Manzoor Dar of Old Barzulla, Srinagar, on August 5, 2020.
Abirar Nadeem Bhat from Eidgah has been active but outside Srinagar since December 12, 2018. Another militant Muhammad Yousuf Dar alias Iss Kantroo, a recycled militant joined militancy in 2012 and again in 2015 and another militant Ubaid Shafi Dar is from Firdousabad, Batamaloo, Srinagar.
“Muhammad Abbas Sheikh from Rampora, Koimoh in Kulgam, in south Kashmir is among those operating in Srinagar,” the police said.
The militancy is still reality in Kashmir . 174 youth joined the militancy last year, many of them among the 221 militants killed in all of 2020. While the long-operational militant groups are seemingly on the back foot, new organizations have taken the center-stage.
Experts and Sources have stated often that the militants are trying to make new bases in Srinagar as they are on run from south Kashmir due to relentless operations by security forces.
Urban militancy making come back in Kashmir is giving alarm bells .
