Zakir Musa, J&K's most wanted militant, reported killed in Tral gunfight

SRINAGAR: The Kashmir Valley's most wanted militant commander, Zakir Musa, who headed the Al Qaeda affiliate Ansar Gazwatul Hind, was killed on Thursday by security forces in an encounter in Pulwama district, even as protests were witnessed across the region late night.

In view of the possible disturbance in law and order situation tomorrow, the authorities have ordered closure of all educational institutions in Kashmir while Mobile internet services have also been snapped across the Valley.

Musa’s killing is seen as one of the biggest achievements for the security forces in recent past.

Informed sources said the security forces started a cordon and search operation in Dadsara village of Tral area following information about the presence of two militants there.

"The trapped militants were persuaded to surrender. Instead they hurled grenades and started a gunfight, triggering an encounter," a source said.

One of the dead was identified as Zakir Musa.

While there was no official word out on slain being the dreaded commander, Musa's family confirmed that he was present at the site.

“There has been no firing for quite sometime at the encounter site, but security forces are taking precaution before approaching the debris,” a police official earlier said.

He said efforts were made to make the militants surrender but the request fell on deaf ears and the holed up terrorists started lobbing grenades using a launcher.

The officials said more security forces were rushed to the area to prevent the terrorists from escaping under the cover of darkness.

Spontaneous protests broke out in Shopian, Pulwama, Awantipora and downtown Srinagar, with people raising slogans in favour of Musa.

Zakir Musa, a close associate of Burhan Wani who was killed in 2017, was a militant of Hizbul Mujahideen who succeeded Burhan and later headed the Al Qaeda affiliate. He had taken to militancy in 2013.

Zakir Rashid Bhat, his real name, was an engineering student in Chandigarh who abandoned education and joined militancy.

He was born in Noorpora village of Tral area. His father, Abdul Rashid Bhat, is a senior engineer working for the Jammu and Kashmir government.

The killing of Zakir Musa is seen as a big success for the security forces in their anti-militancy operations in Kashmir.

After Burhan Wani's death, Zakir Musa threatened to behead Kashmiri separatist leaders of the Hurriyat Conference for calling Kashmir a political dispute instead of a religious struggle to establish an Islamic state.

In the meantime, Jammu and Kashmir police announced restrictions in some areas of Pulwama, Awantipora, Srinagar, Anantnag and Budgam as a precautionary measure.

Authorities have ordered closure of all schools and colleges in the Kashmir Valley on Friday and Mobile internet services were also snapped across the Kashmir Valley.

“The internet services on mobile phones were suspended as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order and stop rumour mongering,” an official confirmed, adding that BSNL's broadband service was working.

Another official said the decision was made keeping in view the Friday prayer gatherings.