Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Dec 24: Top most wanted militant commander in Kashmir valley, Mohammad Qasim, today slipped out of the security forces cordon in Central Kashmir district of Budgam.
Police and Army today cordoned off village Ichkote in Central Kashmir district of Budgam on a tip off provided by a militant, who was arrested from Srinagar’s old city area of Srinagar this afternoon.
Sources said that security forces arrested Latif Ahmad Rather, a LeT militant, of Badipora in district Budgam who was released from Central Jail Srinagar three months ago. “Latif re-joined militancy soon after his release and was close to Mohammad Qasim who is the most wanted militant commander in Kashmir”, sources added.
Soon after his arrest this afternoon from Srinagar, Latif led the security forces to Ichkote village in Central Kashmir district of Budgam where Qasim was hiding in a house along with his associate Bilal Ahmad.
Militants fired at the security forces while they were cordoning off the village and the house in which the militants were hiding. Qasim and his associate gave slip to the security forces under the cover of firing and fled to a nearby village. Sources said that Qasim was injured in the security forces firing and both of them fled to nearby Ichgam village in the outskirts of Budgam town.
Security forces cordoned off the part of Ichgam village as they feel that the LeT commander is hiding there as his escape from Ichkote village this evening.
Security forces have launched a massive man hunt for Qasim in June this year after his name figured in the Hyderpora attack an Army convoy at Srinagar’s Bypass, ahead of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh’s visit to Srinagar, in which eight Army personnel were killed and several others were injured.
Qasim is believed to be the brain behind major militant strikes in Srinagar and South Kashmir during past six months.
Prior to today’s escape from security cordon, Qasim slipped out of cordon in village Brinail in Pir Panchal mountains of South Kashmir on August 29 this year.
Mohammad Qasim, the most wanted militant commander in Kashmir valley is a Pakistani national and took over charge of South Kashmir after the killing of Abdul Rehman alias Rehman Bhai last year in October.
Qasim who was in Dacchigam area in the outskirts of Srinagar shifted to South Kashmir soon after the killing of Rehman Bhai to become divisional commander of LeT for South Kashmir. Qasim 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 South Kashmir.
Massive hunt for Qasim was launched soon after the attack on Army in Pampore in which one Army jawan was killed and the other injured on July 7 last year.
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