Terrorism on rise in Jammu, cops revert to old hands for anti-militancy expertise

Adil Akhzer

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Srinagar, August 16

As the Jammu region is witnessing a rise in militancy, the Jammu and Kashmir Police have given the responsibility of two militancy-hit districts in Jammu to two senior officers, who are known for their previous anti-militancy work in the Union Territory.

Among several police officers shifted in the UT on Friday, the J&K Home Department appointed IPS officer Mumtaz Ahmad as the SSP of Poonch and another IPS officer, Mohammad Aslam, as the SSP of Doda district in Jammu. Both the districts are among the areas that have recently witnessed a serious spike in militancy, which has triggered a series of measures in the police setup.

The newly appointed Poonch SSP, Mumtaz Ahmad, is known for his anti-militancy work. It was during his tenure as the SSP of Kulgam when high-profile Lashkar commander Abu Qasim, a resident of Bahawalpur Pakistan in 2015, was killed. Qasim was a high-profile catch for the security forces in the valley and was said to be behind a large number of attacks that had taken place in the valley.

Mumtaz has also been at the forefront in Shopian district. He also served in the Doda region in 2019.

Another IPS officer, who has been posted as the SSP of Doda, is Mohammad Aslam. Aslam is also known for his anti-militancy work in the region and has served in districts such as Pulwama in South Kashmir, which was considered a hub of militancy before 2019.

He has also served as the SP (Police Component) in Srinagar, where he headed J&K elite anti-terrorism unit, Special Operations Group (SOG). It was during his tenure as the SP of Pulwama when top Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Abu Dujana, a Pakistani national, was killed. He was said to be behind several attacks in South Kashmir and also carried a reward of Rs 15 lakh on his head.

Both of the officers were presently heading the two different police battalions in the Jammu region before they were shifted to these two districts. J&K also posted eight police officers in militancy-hit districts as the SP (Operations) on Friday.

A senior police officer said the officers posted as the SP (Operations) had previous anti-militancy experience.