Srinagar:Srinagar, Oct 23: Director General ofPolice Dilbagh Singh said that three militants of Ansaar Gazwat-ul-Hind werekilled in an encounter at Rajpora in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district and theslain includes Hameed Lelhari, who had taken over the command of outfit after ZakirMoosa’s killing. He said with the killing of Lelhari and his two aides, AGWstands wiped out from Kashmir though some over ground workers (OGW) owingallegiance to the outfit may take over again as the outfit’s chief.
Addressingpress conference at Police Control Room here, the Jammu and Kashmir policechief said that in an overnight gunfight at Rajpora, Pulwama three militantswere killed. “Earlier, two seemed to be foreigners but they were identified aslocals. So all three were locals. One of the slain was identified as HameedLelhari, the Chief of Ansaar Gazwatul Hind (AGH), another Junaid and third oneNaveed,” the DGP said.
He said thatso far AGH has been wiped out from Kashmir as Lelhari was chief of AGW. “He hadtaken over after the killing of Zakir Moosa. So as of now, there is no activemember from AGW but there may be some OGW who may take over the outfit again,”said the J&K police chief.
He said thatthe trio were involved in a series of militant attacks in South Kashmir. “WhenZakir Moosa was killed, there was no active member of AGH but Lelhari motivatedsome youth to join the group again,” the DGP said.
The DGP,according to the KNO Correspondent, present in the meeting said that that postAugust 5, there were reports of mass militant recruitment, but nothing of thatsort happened. “Some five to six youth are missing and there is no reportwhether they have joined militancy or are simply away from homes,” he said.
He urgedlocal boys to return and join the mainstream. “Gun leads to destruction anddamage of human lives and is no solution to anything,” he said. The DGP saidthat new strategy of militants is to work together as Jaish, Lashkar, Hizb areworking in a joint manner. “We are keeping a close watch on this,” the DGPsaid.
On whethermobile phone service would be snapped again, he said no such decision is beforethe police or government. He, however, played safe that such decisions aretaken keeping in view the situation. He urged students to opt for exams and notto waste their precious year. “We will create a secure atmosphere for studentsso that they attend the exams without any risk or tension,” DGP said.