Taliban-e-Kashmir leader Zakir Musa boasts of revealing information to Indian army that led to rival jihadi group deaths
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.’
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 (file pic)
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 hard-line 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.
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.
‘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.
