In Tak’s killing, Lashkar loses strategist

In contrast to no-holds-barred approach of new-age militants, he lay low. When Hizb commander Burhan Wani took off mask from his face, setting a trend that made militancy visible and popular, Showkat Ahmad Tak treaded the old-school path.

His identity was so mysterious that it even took security forces a while to realise at the end of Chattabal gunfight on Saturday that they had finally got the man they had been chasing for the past eight years.

A native of Panzgam in Awantipora, the 38-year old Tak left home in 2011 and joined Hizbul Mujahideen. But after a few months, he switched over to Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT). And that is when, a police official said, Tak decided to move out of his native district of Pulwama.

In the years to come Tak, an A+++category militant,   would grow not only as a “main handler” of his outfit militants sneaking into the Valley from across LoC, but worked in close coordination with some top commanders like Abdullah Uni, Rahman Bhai, Abu Qasim and Abu Dujana.

“Apart from Ganderbal district of central Kashmir the north of the valley were his areas of operation,” the police official said, adding the success of his longevity in the Valley’s militancy world was be, a police official said, because of his low profile he maintained all through his militant life.

“He operated in a guerilla style, was one of the trusted militants and had fitted himself in the job to almost perfection,” the official said.

A few years ago, the burly looking man, who had left studies after completing class 12 to join militancy, gave a slip to government forces during a cordon-and-search operation in Ganderbal.

“He had maintained so much secrecy about himself that he had almost gone off the radar of security grid at several times. He had faded away from people’s memory not only in other districts but his home district as well. This was mantra for his success,” said another senior police official.

After 2016 uprising that was triggered by killing of Burhan, the forces framed a list of the most wanted rebels. Tak had figured in the list.

“This (Tak’s killing) is a major jolt to the LeT,” the official said. “He even coordinated the operations among the outfit militants in various districts.”

At his native village, as mourners continue visiting Tak family, a group of youth who sat at entrance of the house recalled their association with the slain militant during school days.

“He was an average student like us but he was very jolly. We never heard of him once he left home,” said one of the youth who identified himself as Aamir.

“He never came home (after joining militancy),” said one of Tak’s relative.