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Home-grown militants pose a greater threat in the Kashmir Valley

The militants ensure that they attract the young crowd with their education qualifications.

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Burhan Wani, the 21-year-old commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen militant group
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In the last week of October, intelligence agencies were alarmed when people from three villages of south Kashmir almost had a confrontation while attempting to lay claim to the body of Abu Qasim, the Lashkar-e-Taiba commander and mastermind of the Udhampur attack on a BSF convoy.

With the deceased Pakistani militant's popularity, particularly in south Kashmir, no longer a concern for the security forces, agencies now believe that countering 'home grown militancy' can pose an equally challenging task. In fact, the vacuum created by the killing of Qasim, one of LeT's most senior militants in Kashmir, awaits to be filled by young Kashmiri militants who, according to agencies, despite being 'ill-trained' might pose a grave threat to the security situation in the valley.

According to a senior intelligence official, the new generation of Kashmiri militants led by the 21-year-old Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, are poorly trained and lack proper ammunition as most of them have trained themselves in remote parts of Kashmir itself.

The official further said that most of the militants joining the Hizb rank either snatch weapons from the security forces posted in the valley or borrow it from LeT. In order to save the bullets for a possible confrontation with the armed forces, these militants practice without bullets.

"While these terrorists might lack proper training in arms and guerrilla warfare, their Kashmiri identify can pose a great threat especially to areas where they belong from. The youngsters in these places who chose to idolise the terrorists sometimes end up joining their ranks," said the official.

A senior J&K police officer while speaking to dna said that unlike the past, when Kashmiri youth crossed over to Pakistan to receive arms training, militants of Kashmiri origin now hold a slight edge over Pakistani ones due to the connect they form with the general population.

He said foreign militants from countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan were previously looked as 'mythical characters' but the new-age Kashmiri militants are more real than their predecessors. Among other prominent militants are Nisar Pandit, Zakir who hails from Noorpur and Isaaq Dar from Tral area of Kashmir, also known by the nickname 'Newton' which he got after topping his class.

The officer also said the fact that most of the new militants are educated and degree holders is intentionally highlighted to influence educated youth of the valley.


"We are fighting the current militancy at multiple levels, social media being one of them. But the sympathy garnered by some of the Kashmiri militant groups has to be tackled carefully. People here have seen these militants grow from boys into adults and while dealing in such scenarios we have to ensure we do not end up alienating people further," said the officer who had been part of the counter insurgency operations in North Kashmir.

Reaching out people through videos 
In August this year, Burhan, had also released a five-and-half minute video which was first circulated through WhatsApp before it was uploaded on Facebook. The 21-year-old is seen in the video asking Kashmiri youth to join the 'armed movement against the Indian state'. His elder brother Khalid was killed this year in police action during an attempt to capture Burhan, now referred to as a 'poster boy' of the new age militancy.

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