A Hizbul Mujahideen militant  who appeared at the funeral of slain  commander Sabzar Bhat surrendered before police.

Police identified the militant as Danish Ahmed, a resident of Handwara in north Kashmir studying at the Doon P G College of Agriculture Science and Technology, Dehradun.

A few days back video clips of an unidentified militant  wearing battle pouch with a grenade, were in circulation on social media, police said, adding that the video clips were clicked in Tral, Awantipora by the local media-persons during the funeral of a self-style militant commander Sabzar Bhat of Hizbul Mujahideen outfit.

Danish was found involved in stone-pelting incidents at Handwara in 2016 turmoil also. He was picked up by the police but was let off after counselling in view of his career.

” Once it was learnt that Danish has joined militancy, Handwara police and 21 RR army got into touch with his parents and impressed upon them to counsel their son for surrender. His parents were convinced that if he surrenders, he would be dealt with fairly under law. Efforts made by security forces yielded results and Danish surrendered before Handwara police and 21 RR army,” police said.

According to police on being questioned the militant revealed that he was in touch with others in South Kashmir region on social media sites; and it was on their instigation that he had decided to turn to militancy.

Police said that the militant was  tasked by Hizbul Mujahideen commanders to ‘activate’ some local youth in North Kashmir and make the region as militancy infested as the southern part of Kashmir. However, after spending a few days with the terrorists in South Kashmir, he realized the futility of joining militant ranks.

Meanwhile HM said that Danish Ahmad who has surrendered before police was not affiliated with Hizb.  In an e-mailed statement issued to a lcoal news agency, a Hizb spokesman, Saleem Hashmi while quoting the outfit Vice Chief, Saif-ul-llah Khalid said, “The police claims about the Danish’s association with Hizb is not true.”

He said that the Danish has no links with Hizb and ‘such acts should be seen as tactics of Indian agencies’.

Meanwhile, Hizb chief, Syed Salah-ud-din condemned the killing of Shopian youth, Adil Farooq Magrey on Tuesday evening. “India is killing the people of Kashmir since last 70 years and the killing of Shopian is Mglaring example of such atrocities,” he said.

He said that “India is killing and committing atrocities on Kashmiris to hide its defeat on the ground.”

Guest