LeT commander Abu Ismail, a Pakistani national, was the mastermind of the deadly attack on Amarnath pilgrims.
Slain Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Abu Dujana will be replaced by Abu Ismail. Ismail will be the new Kashmir division chief of LeT after Dujana was killed by the security forces on Tuesday after a seven-hour gunfight in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
LeT commander Abu Ismail, a Pakistani national, was the mastermind of the deadly attack on Amarnath Yatra in which seven pilgrims, including six women, were killed and 19 were injured.
Proactive operations have been launched, mainly in south Kashmir, to track down Ismail as investigations including communication intercepts have pointed out to his involvement in the attack on Amarnath pilgrims.
Attack in Anantnag appears to be a reprisal for killing of several Lashkar militants including Bashir Lashkari in an encounter with security forces earlier this month.
Who Was Abu Dujana:
With a Rs 15 lakh bounty on his head, Dujana was labelled an ‘A++’ terrorist – the top grade which was also given to Burhan Wani.
Dujana also known by the name of Hafiz, took over after Abu Qasim’s death in October 2015.
He made his first dramatic appearance at a funeral of local Lashkar militant in 2014 in Kakpora area of Pulwama, and also attended the funeral of Hizbul Commander Burhan wani in Tral area of South Kashmir last year in July.
He was involved in several attacks which includes the ones at Pampore (Feb 2016) and Udhampur (Aug 2015). It is believed that he had planned the Udhampur attack in which two BSF personnel were martyred. Dujana’s main target was the Indian army. All his attacks are directed against the armed forces.
Security forces received inputs that during the last few days Dujana was frequenting the houses of his wife Rukaiya and girlfriend Shazia. Police was keeping a watch on both the houses and at midnight it was confirmed he was present in his wife’s house.
According to top security sources, a girl from the area became an informer for the police to reach Dujana after he ditched her. Girlfriends of terrorists have become a key link for government forces in hunting down the jihadis in Kashmir.
Dujana, hailing from Gilgit area of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) had infiltrated into Jammu and Kashmir in 2010 and was purportedly the longest-surviving foreign terrorist in the Valley.
Top sources said the terrorist was in frequent touch with local girls as per the technical intelligence provided by tech cells. This also revealed that he was in frequent touch with his handlers in Pakistan including Syed Salahuddin.
