Terror network spreading rapidly in South Kashmir

South Kashmir is fast becoming the new center of terror in the strife-torn valley.

Around 100 militants are active in the four districts, an area which security forces claimed had been cleared of the ultras. Now the table has turned once again and the militants are back in business in apple rich south Kashmir.

“There are around 80 to 100 militants active in south Kashmir. Traditionally it has been the Hizb-ul-Mujhadeen (HM) stronghold. There are few LeT militants also active but there number is comparatively less”, said major general AS Nandal, general officer commanding (GOC) Victor Force, the counter insurgency force responsible for the south Kashmir area.

Security forces maintain that the recently slain militant commander Molvi Ashraf was mainly responsible for the recruitment in militant ranks across south Kashmir.

“He was an over ground worker of militants four months ago. Later he took to arms and he had a big hand in the militant recruitment. We achieved major success when we naturalised him in an encounter. Now that he is dead we hope there will be a marked change on ground”, said Major General Nandal

Most of the HM’s top brass hailed from south Kashmir, but after constant pressure by security forces most of them were killed. But the unrest caused by the death of two women in Shopian reversed the situation in south Kashmir.