The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Saturday, May 11, 2002, Chandigarh, India

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More Hizb chiefs expelled
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 10
Five days after the Hizbul Mujahideen expelled former commander Abdul Majid Dar, it has come out with the expulsion of two more divisional commanders operating in the Kashmir valley. This disciplinary action against the two commanders comes in the wake of their opposition to the expulsion of former chief commander of operations Dar and two other divisional commanders.

Those expelled in the latest move with directions from Muzaffarabad-based command council include Abu Ubaid, divisional commander of north Kashmir, and Asghar Ibne Rehman, district commander for Kupwara. A local news agency quoting Saleem Hashmi, spokesman for the Hizbul Mujahideen, said they had been expelled for “gross indiscipline and anti-party activities”. The two have been replaced by Gazi Naseebuddin as divisional commander for north Kashmir and Rafi-ul-Islam, district commander for Kupwara.

Earlier in a similar move on May 4, the Hizbul Mujahideen had expelled Dar, former spokesman Assad Yazdani and Zafar Abdul Fateh.

Dar, having been chief commander of operations for over a decade till he was replaced by Saiful Ilsam, shot into prominence with the announcement of a unilateral ceasefire in July, 2000. The ceasefire was withdrawn within a fortnight after the Pakistan-based leadership decided to do so for not including Pakistan in talks on resolving the Kashmir issue. A three-member team led by Abdul Majid Dar met the Union Home Secretary at Nehru Guest House in Srinagar early in August, 2000, following the announcement of the ceasefire.

While there has been no reaction from ousted Hizbul leader Dar, his friend Fazal Haque Aureshi, who served as a mediator during talks with the Centre in 2000, has said Dar may shift to the political front. It is felt that Dar may join hands with the All-Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC), a conglomeration of 23 separatist political organisations. Commenting on the latest developments, Qureshi said Dar’s expulsion might not necessarily lead to differences between his supporters and opponents.

However, the United Jehad Council, a Pakistan-based conglomeration of militant organisations operating in Kashmir, has strongly reacted to the “revolt” within its ranks and warned against those falling prey to any “conspiracy engineered by RAW”.

Two Lashkar ultras killed in Delhi
Tribune News Service

The police leads three unidentified men into a New Delhi court on Friday, after they were arrested for alleged links to two Islamic militants killed in the Thursday night shoot-out. — Reuters

New Delhi, May 10
The interrogation of three terrorists arrested last night by sleuths of the special cell of the Delhi police following an encounter in which two of their associates were killed has revealed that they were planning to strike at VIP targets in the Capital and at the same time attempting to recruit some of the victims of the recent communal carnage in Gujarat.

All of them were reported to be activists of Tehrik-e-bin-Zaid, a sister outfit of Lashkar-e-Toiba banned by the USA and Pakistan. The name was changed recently to misguide the authorities concerned.

The killed militants were identified as Abu Bilal, an accused in Red Fort Shootout case, and Abu Zabiullah and were Pakistani nationals.

The police seized five kg of RDX, 3.770 kg of other explosive substance, one remote controlled detonating device, four detonators and Rs 2 lakh in cash from their possession. The police also seized two Chinese pistols with seven live cartridges, two spare magazines, one AK-47 rifle with one magazine, 30 live cartridges, Rs 20,000 in cash, dairies and other documents from the militants killed in the encounter. Fake identity cards of the Human Rights Commission were also seized from their possession.