Video claims Zakir Musa's Taliban-e-Kashmir provided info to forces about LeT militants killed by Army

A rift between terrorist groups in the Valley is out in the open with Taliban-e-Kashmir leader Zakir Musa claiming that he provided specific information to security forces about half a dozen jihadis who were killed by the Army in the last seven days.

All the six militants killed in the two operations belonged to the Lashkar-e-Taiba and included dreaded names such as Junaid Mattoo and Nisar Ahmed.

In a video message purportedly issued by Musa's group, the newly raised terror outfit claimed that it had provided information to government forces about the presence of the Lashkar terrorists killed in separate encounters in Kakpora and Arwani areas.

"This is a message from 'Sher-e-Kashmir' Musa Bhai. We want to make it clear that whosoever comes between us and Shariah (Islamic laws), we would ensure his head is chopped off. You people didn't listen to us and we had to take action," two purported terrorists of the Taliban-e-Kashmir group can be heard saying in the clip.

"The death of six mujahideen was because of us as we had informed the police there. Those who don't listen to us will meet the same fate."

After the killing of Hizbul commander Sabzar Ahmad Bhat by security forces last month, the Musa group had claimed that it had leaked information about his location to the police.

Sources in the security forces said the cracks are a results of Musa's belief in the idea of establishment of a Caliphate in the trouble-torn state while the other side backed by the Hizbul Mujahideen talks about freedom of Kashmir.

Mail Today reported on June 9 that Musa has been successful in poaching 12-15 cadres from Hizbul with his hardline Islamic appeal of waging jihad against India and using religion to attract more youth into his fold.

Top sources in the Army said the situation makes no difference to the security forces and they would go about eliminating all those who take up arms against India at the behest of Pakistan and its spy agencies.

On the issue of tip-offs being given by the Musa group to government forces, sources said this may be true as the inputs received by the security agencies also suggest the role of an insider in providing pinpoint information about the location of terrorists.

INPUTS ACCURATE

The inputs received for both the encounters that happened on Wednesday in Kakapora near Tral and the clash in Arwani area last week turned out to be extremely accurate.

"The intelligence inputs are generally very vague where we get information that terrorists are located in a particular area or a hub of three to four houses. But in case of the last two major encounters, the information was pinpoint about presence of terrorists in one particular house," the sources said.

Due to the precise intelligence input, the security forces managed to kill the terrorists in a brief gun battle that started at around 3.30 AM.

Similarly, in the encounter in Arwani where Junaid Matto was killed, the security forces had matched the location provided by informers with technical intelligence gathered by the Jammu and Kashmir police.

"Dreaded terrorists Matto and Naseer Ahmed along with one unidentified militant were killed by 1 Rashtriya Rifles in the Arwani area under the Victor Force command again in no time," the sources said.

The trouble between terrorists over Islam and Kashmir started last month when Musa issued a message in which he declared war on Hurriyat separatists and advocated the beheading of their leaders at Lal Chowk. It was in the same address that he announced his allegiance to a pan-Islamic Caliphate and broke away from the ranks of the Hizbul Mujahideen.

Inputs received by intelligence agencies suggest the United Jihad Council headed by Syed Salahuddin now wants Musa dead as soon as possible and wants no effort to be spared to achieve this goal as the Pakistani spy agencies also don't want to lose control over the terrorist leadership and their activities in Kashmir.

ALSO READ | Zakir Musa slams 'spineless Indian Muslims' in audio clip

ALSO READ | Kashmir: Three LeT militants killed in encounter with security forces in Pulwama district

ALSO WATCH | Factional fight erupts within Hizbul Mujahideen, say those who oppose Zakir Musa will meet Sabzar fate