Early Times Report
Srinagar, Mar 9: Jammu and Kashmir Police are trying to ascertain the identity of a Pakistani militant who is believed to have taken over as the commander of Jaish-e-Muhammad in Kashmir.
Social media was abuzz with news of a person identified as Hafiz Umar, seen in photographs holding an assault rifle. His age was not known.
The new JeM chief in Kashmir was reportedly named after the security forces killed its former commander Mufti Waqas in south Kashmir's Pulwama district. "There have been posts on social media about the new leader of the outfit. We are trying to ascertain the fact," a top police officer said.
Two major self-styled commanders of Jaish were killed in south Kashmir in less than three months.
On March 5, security forces killed operational commander of the outfit, Mufti Waqas. He is said to have masterminded the attack on the army camp in Sunjuwan on February 10 in which six soldiers and a civilian were killed.
Waqas was also involved in attacks in Lethpora, Pulwama district police lines and a BSF camp at Srinagar airport. Before Waqas, a Kashmiri, Noor Mohammad Tantray (47), had taken the mantle of Jaish. Tantray, just four feet tall and a resident of Aripal in Pulwama district, was killed on December 17 last year. |
