Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, July 9: After inputs that Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) is trying to target Srinagar city, police have announced rewards for providing information regarding top LeT commanders who they feel are frequently visiting the city.
Sources said that security agencies have inputs that three top LeT men – Divisional Commander Mohammad Qasim, top commander Sajjad Ahmad Bhat and Irshad Ahmad Gania – are making movements in Bagh-e-Mehtab, Newa, Nowgam, Chadoora areas in the outskirts of Srinagar in the area behind Nowgam Railway Station.
Posters with their photographs were pasted on the walls and electric poles at several places in Srinagar city with police announcing rewards for any information about their movement. Through these posters Police have sought information regarding their presence in any of the areas in and around Srinagar city.
Police believed that these militants are making movements in the city as commoners and by circulating their pictures they can get information about their presence in any area from general public.
Sources said that LeT Divisional Commander’s name figured in the last month’s attack at Hyderpora Bypass in which 8 Army personnel were killed a day before Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh’s visit to Kashmir.
Security agencies believed that Hyderpora attack on Army was masterminded by the LeT Divisional Commander Mohammad Qasim and the outfit is planning more strikes in Srinagar.
As there is no concrete evidence about who was actually carried out the attack on Army but the security agencies suspected that Irshad Ahmad Gania was part of the group who carried out the attack.
Security forces have launched a massive hunt for these militants who targeted Army in Hyderpora and are planning more strikes probably during the month of Ramadhan.
The LeT Divisional Commander, Mohammad Qasim, whose name figured in posters is a Pakistani militant and took over charge of South Kashmir after the killing of Abdul Rehman alias Rehman Bhai in October 2011 who was brain behind re-cycling the released militants and making fresh recruitments in South Kashmir.
Mohammad Qasim shifted his base from Dacchigam area in the outskirts of Srinagar to South Kashmir soon after the killing of Rehman Bhai to become divisional commander of LeT for South Kashmir.
Mohammad Qasim is a Pakistani national and has reportedly infiltrated into Kashmir valley in 2010. He lied low and was hiding in the Dacchigam forests for almost 18 months before he became Divisional Commander of LeT for South Kashmir in 2011.
Another militant Sajjad Ahmad Bhat is from village Zewan in the outskirts of Srinagar and is active in South Kashmir for past 9 years. He is said to be brain behind the militancy in South Kashmir where over the years he has revived militancy.
Irshad Ahmad Gania is from Pulwama and has joined militancy two years ago. He is said to be one of the most active militants operating in South Kashmir.
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