Terrorist killed in Poonch was veteran Hizb commander: Army

Srinagar, Aug 8: One of the two terrorists killed in an encounter with police and security forces in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday was a “dreaded” Hizb commander who was tasked with reviving terrorism in Rajouri and Poonch districts, army said.

Quoting a statement issued by PRO (Defence) Jammu, news agency GNS reported that the slain was identified as Hizb-ul-Mujahideen commander Muneser Hussain.

“The killed (militant) has been identified on the basis of Police records as Muneser Hussain son of Sattar Mohammad of Bagyladra Poonch,”Lt Col Suneel Bartwal said, in the statement.

In 1993, he said, Hussain went to PoK, came back in 1996 and again returned to PoK in 1998.”He has masterminded [a] number of attacks on SFs [security forces].  As per police records, his family of two wives and children are residents of Surankote, Poonch.”

Hussain was a close associate of Maulana Dawood Kashmir (TuJ) who in turn is a close associate of Syed Salahuddin, he said.

“Recently high-level meeting of HM group took place in Islamabad which he attended. Agenda of meeting was revival of HM in Rajouri Poonch,” he said, adding, “From this we can make out that Muneer Hussain along with his body guard was sent with the agenda of reviving HM in Rajouri Poonch / South of Pir-Panjal (SPPR).”

The PRO said that Hussain was given a larger leadership role of “Tanzeems and told to revive terrorism South of Pir Panjal”

Hussain, he said, was the senior most leader of HM. “He is the most dreaded (militant) killed in the last 10 years in Rajouri/Poonch.”

He said it was evident that Pak is trying to send old militant “veterans” to JK to motivate and recruit youth thus making “desperate attempts to revive” militancy.