Srinagar: One of the most wanted militants of Kashmir, who kept the police and the army on toes for almost 27-years, Abdul Qayoom Najar was finally killed near Line of Control near Lassipora Uri along the Line of Control in Baramulla district of north Kashmir.
The 43-year-old was killed while infiltrating into Kashmir Valley from Pakistan administered Kashmir, reports said. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) General Secretary Ram Madhav took to twitter to announce: “Longest surviving (militant) of Kashmir Qayoom Nazar killed today at LOC Lassipora Uri.”
A resident of Sopore town in Baramulla district, Najar joined militancy barely at an age of 16. He was arrested in 1992 and later released. After his release, Najar recycled into the militancy in 1995. At present, Najar was carrying Rs 10 lakh bounty on his head.
Najar until 2015 was affiliated with Hizbul Mujahideeen but he broke away from the outfit to form Lashkar e-Islam that threatened mobile tower owners and mobile companies to close their business in 2015.
Najar remained a low profile militant but came to the limelight after the attacks on mobile towers and killings of six civilians in Sopore and its adjacent villages, allegedly for links with government forces, in 2015.
While the Hizbul Mujahideen blamed the Indian agencies for these attacks, police had said the killings and attacks were the handiwork of Najar and his associate Imtiyaz Ahmad Kundoo.
Meanwhile, authorities decided to suspend with immediate effect internet and voice service in Baramalla and Sopore in wake of the Najar’s killing.
Official sources said that authorities have sent a communication to the cellular companies, asking them to snap both internet and voice service with immediate effect in areas falling within police districts of Sopore and Baramulla.