There was a time, not in the distant past, when the security establishment in Kashmir boasted of not letting militants have a sway in Srinagar city. That myth seems to have bitten the dust as the banned outfits have found fresh support in Srinagar. So far six militants from Srinagar who had taken up arms against the government have died in action with the government forces in about last one year in several parts of Kashmir. It points to a renewed trend that has deepened worry lines in the security establishment.
According to the official estimates at least 10 youth from the city joined different rebel groups after the 2016 mass uprising that was triggered by the killing of the HizbulMujahideen militant commander BurhanMuzaffarWani.
Though separatist sentiment runs deep in Srinagar and parts of the district have been witnessing protests and stone pelting, the district was considered to be militancy free from 2006 to 2015. But in October that year Sajad Ahmad Bhat of Zewan locality joined the HizbulMujahideen. He was killed four months later in a gunfight at Zakoora, on the city outskirts.
His transition however marked the beginning of the return of militancy to the central Kashmir district – the latest to join the rebels was JunaidSehrai, the son of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat chief Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai.
From the HizbulMujahideen to Lashkar-e-Toiaba, these militant outfits have attracted youth from the city though their number is quite less. Today, Meraj-ud-Din Bangroo who was with Muslim League is the district commander of LeT. A pro-Pakistan Bangroo is from fatehKadal and is believed to be the brain behind the revival of insurgency in the city. Mugais Ahmad Mir of Parimpora who was believed to have allegiance to ISIS was killed by forces during a gunfight in November last year. In March this year the forces killed another militant from Srinagar, EisaFazili, a supporter of IS, and two of his associates during a gunfight in Anantnag.
But it isn’t only local youth picking up guns which has brought Srinagar on militancy map. From last year small groups of foreign militants belonging to LeT have successfully been infiltrating the city. In February this year two LeT militants were killed by the forces in the Karan Nagar area of the city while one of the three LeT militants killed today were foreigners according to the police. The two slain militants were locals.
“They were all working under the command of Bangroo. The group is still left with a few militants including one local,” said a police official
And the militants have made their presence felt in Srinagar. On April 25 a group of unidentified militants snatched four rifles from policeman after attacking an armed guard of J&K police’s 13 battalion in Hyderpora while suspected militants fired at former policeman-turned BharatiyaJanata Party’s (BJP) vice-president BatamalloZubairParray, from a close range in AalochiBagh, injuring him grievously.
In recent times the city has witnessed some daring attacks by rebels on the security forces. In February this year the militants struck at SMHS hospital, killing two policemen and succeeding in taking away the Lashkarcommander NaveedJatt from the captivity of the police. The commander had been brought to the hospital for treatment. Last year the militants launched a suicide attack on BSF camp near Srinagar airport, but all the four militants were killed. Prior to that a senior police official was killed in an attack by militants in Zakoora during which Mugais was gunned down while in a daring attack militant killed eight army men during an attack on convoy in Hyderpora.
A top police official said though all these developments indicate a “desperate attempt” by militancy to make a comeback in Srinagar but that the trend can be in no way termed as the resurgence of militancy in the district.
Like other parts of Kashmir this phenomena of youth picking up guns in Srinagar is being linked to Burhan’s killing and the 5-month long unrest that followed. “That (uprising) swept every part of the Valley and infused new energy into the separatist movement. Today, youth are embracing militancy with pride,” said a political analyst.
The head of the police S.P. Vaid sees the trend as an outcome of “glamourizing of terrorism” and not an outcome of political disaffection. “When a society promotes and glamorizes terrorism it will reach to your town and to your street also. We shouldn’t glamorize militancy but those people who made achievements in the life,” said Vaid.