Intrusion attempt in Poonch, Hizb top commander killed

Arjun Sharma

Jammu, August 7

Hizbul Mujahideen’s divisional commander Muneer Hussain was gunned down during an infiltration attempt in Poonch on Monday. Another terrorist sustained a bullet injury but managed to sneak into the forest area close to the Line of Control, taking advantage of the thick foliage, rain and rocky outcrop, the Army said. Hussain, whose body has been retrieved, was tasked by the Pakistan’s ISI with reviving terrorism in Rajouri and Poonch, officials said.

Dreaded terrorist

• Hizbul commander Muneer Hussain of Poonch went to Pak-occupied Jammu & Kashmir in 1993 for arms training.
• He returned in 1996 and again went to PoJK in 1998. He orchestrated several attacks on security men.
• An AK-56 rifle with magazine, a 9-mm pistol with nine rounds, two hand grenades and medicines were found during a search operation.

The incident took place near the Pintu nullah in Degwar Terwan area of Poonch along the LoC at around 2 am. The Army and the police, who had kept an eye on the terrorists through night vision devices, opened fire at the intruders when they came close to the LoC fence. A search operation was carried out in which an AK 56 rifle, a 9-mm pistol with silencer, a magazine of AK-56, 10 rounds of 7.62 mm, nine rounds of 9 mm, two hand grenades, eatables and medicines were found.

A resident of Poonch, Muneer had gone to Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) in 1993 for arms training when terrorism was at its peak in J&K. He returned to Poonch in 1996 and again went to PoJK in 1998 where he had been staying. “He has masterminded a number of attacks on security forces. As per the police records, he had two wives and children in Surankote, Poonch,” said Lt Col Suneel Bartwal, PRO, Defence, Jammu.

Muneer was a close associate of terrorist Maulana Dawood Kashmir, said to be a close associate of Hizbul chief Syed Salauddin.

The Army informed that recently a high-level meeting of the Hizbul Mujahideen outfit took place in Islamabad which was attended by Muneer. The agenda of the meeting was revival of the terror outfit’s activities in Rajouri and Poonch. ISI officials and representatives of Pakistan army were also present in the meeting.

“Hussain had been told to revive terrorism in the region,” a senior Army official informed.

Muneer is the most dreaded terrorist killed in the last 10 years in Rajouri and Poonch.

“It is evident that Pakistan has been trying to send terror veterans to J&K to motivate and recruit youth, thus making desperate attempts to revive terrorism,” said the Defence PRO.

Meanwhile, the search operation continued for the second terrorist in Rajouri’s Khawas area where a militant was shot dead on Saturday.