15-member LeT group poses a challenge to security forces

Samaan Lateef

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, December 20

Unlike local militants in south Kashmir, a group of 15 Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants, led by the most wanted ultra Abu Hurraira, is operating away from public gaze in Srinagar for the past over three years. The militant group operates in the Dhara-Harwan forest belt, which falls in Srinagar city, and is believed to be involved in several attacks on security forces. A police official said this group was behind the two attacks on May 23 in the city in which three policemen, including an assistant sub-inspector, were killed.

At a time when the local militants in south Kashmir have shunned the guerilla tactics and are using social networking sites to make their presence felt, police officials said the LeT group was lying low and emerging as a serious threat to the security apparatus in the summer capital. The LeT group had conducted reconnaissance several times in the city for future attacks, the police officials said. After the killing of Hizbul Mujhaideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8, the LeT group instead of confronting the security forces was involved in increasing its base of overground workers in Srinagar and its adjoining district Ganderbal. The police officials said the south Kashmir was dominated by Hizb militants and the LeT was emerging in Srinagar and north Kashmir as a force to reckon with. Post-Burhan killing, nearly 50 local youth have joined Hizb in south Kashmir, including 14 in Shopian and 12 in Kulgam.