Aide of poster boy of militancy arrested

Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 28

In a major blow to militancy in south Kashmir, Tariq Pandit, a close aide of 21-year-old commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen Burhan Wani, was arrested from Pulwama this morning.

Burhan, the poster boy of Kashmir militancy, has been spearheading the social media campaign of the young militants. Pandit was one of the 11 militants of the group led by Burhan who had uploaded a photograph brandishing assault rifles last year. The picture had gone viral, attracting some youth to take up arms.

“Tariq was apprehended by the Army in a swift operation on the Newa-Pinglana road of Pulwama,” a defence spokesman said in Srinagar.

Along with a 9 mm pistol, two Chinese grenades were recovered from him.

Pandit, he claimed, was involved in many violent incidents in Pulwama area and was a key member of the Burhan group, “instrumental in motivating youth to join militancy”. 

Pulwama district in south Kashmir has been turning into a hotbed of militancy over the past few years. Many members of the Burhan group have been killed by security forces.

Tariq Pandit’s cousin Naseer was killed in a gunfight last month. A former constable, he fled from the residence of a minister in Srinagar last year along with two rifles to join militant ranks. Tariq, Naseer and two other youth from Pulwama had joined militancy the same day. All three except Tariq were killed in different operations. 

Tariq’s arrest comes three days after a policeman was killed and another injured in a militant attack in Pulwama. A day later, an Army jawan was injured in a grenade attack in the district.