Srinagar (NVI): Pakistan is presenting Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a banned terror outfit under global scanner, as ‘The Resistance Front’ (TRF) to carry out attacks in Jammu and Kashmir in an attempt to mislead the international community.
Information in this regard was given today by a top police official of Jammu and Kashmir while talking about the recent terror strikes in Kashmir for which so-called ‘TRF’ has been claiming responsibility.
Inspector General of Police (Kashmir) Vijay Kumar said whenever there is a big attack in Kashmir nowadays, ‘The Resistance Front (TRF)’ claims responsibility.
TRF is not a new militant organisation but a pseudo name of Lashkar-e-Taiba, he said at a press conference here.
“Post-August 5 last year, there has been international pressure on Pakistan to stop terrorism. So, Lashkar changed its name and started operating under TRF banner. This was proved when slain militants of Handwara were identified. They belong to Lashkar but responsibility was taken by TRF,” Kumar said.
He was referring to the encounter in Handwara on May 3 in which LeT commander and Pakistani national Haider was among two terrorists killed. An Army Colonel, a Major, two other Army personnel and an officer of J&K Police also died fighting the terrorists in that encounter. The so-called TRF then claimed responsibility for it.
Talking about terror attack in Handwara on May 4 in which three CRPF personnel died, Kumar said the culprits have been identified and are being tracked down.
In the recent months, Pakistan has been under scanner of the global community, particularly the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) which is putting pressure on it to stop support to terrorism, especially the banned outfits like LeT and Jaish-e-Mohammad. FATF has put Pakistan in ‘Grey List’ (meaning under watch) and threatened to blacklist it if it does not meet certain requirements by June this year, a deadline which has now been extended till October because of coronavirus crisis.
Blacklisting by FATF will mean that Pakistan would not be able to get aid from international financial organisations like World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
On yesterday’s killing of Riyaz Naikoo, top commander of Pakistan-based Hizbul Mujahideen, the IGP warned that anyone taking his place would also meet the same fate.
He said Naikoo was among 64 terrorists gunned down in the Valley since January this year and his killing is a big jolt to Hizbul Mujahideen terror outfit.
Giving some details about the operation in Beighpora in Pulwama district, Kumar said security forces received a tip-off that Naikoo was going to meet his ailing mother. A midnight cordon was launched and the house where he was hiding was zeroed-in, he said.
Naikoo was given opportunity to surrender but he opened fire, triggering a gunfight, which lasted for 8 hrs, the IGP said.
“In the gunfight, he along with his associate Adil from same Pulwama district were killed,” Kumar said.
When asked how big a jolt this was for Hizbul Mujahideen, the senior police officer said that it is a big jolt for the outfit and entire militancy in Kashmir.
“I will not hesitate in saying that he was a very influential militant commander who would every month put one or two video on social media, through which he instigated people to join militancy and also directing militants to kill police and civilians,” IGP Vijay Kumar said.
On whether Hizbul Mujahideen stands wiped out in Kashmir, he said, “it is a big jolt to the outfit but somebody will take over and again we will go after him.”
On the communication blockade and curfew imposed in Kashmir after the encounter, Kumar said, “It was important because people across the LoC (implying Pakistan) and here also would have posted old videos of militant funerals and other instigative material to foment trouble in Kashmir and to create law and order problem. So we took this decision to prevent law and order problem but services will be restored soon in Kashmir.”
