Jammu and Kashmir Police have announced a reward of Rs 30 lakh for any information leading to the arrest of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Mohammad Amin alias 'Jehangir Saroori' and his 2 accomplices, Riyaz Ahmad alias Hazari and Mudassir Hussain.
'Wanted - dead or alive' posters have also been put up in Kishtwar and other nearby areas of Jammu and Kashmir. The three local militants have been instrumental in reviving militancy in J&K.
Mohammad Amin carries a reward of Rs 15 lakh while Riyaz Ahmad and Mudassir Hussain carry a reward of Rs 7.5 lakh each. The poster, which provided two contact numbers for informants to share information to the police, also says that the identity of the potential informants shall be kept secret.
"All the three are local militants belonging to Hizbul Mujahideen are led by Jehangir Saroori," Harmeet Singh Senior Superintendent of Police Kishtwar told a news agency. Singh also stated that the militants were active in the jungles of the area.
Resurgence of militancy in Kashmir
Through the posters, the J&K Police wants to prevent any resurgence of militancy in the Valley amid the revocation of Article 370 and Article 35(A) - that give the state a host of special rights.
The bounty on Mohammad Amin, Riyaz Ahmad and Mudassir Hussain come days after police in Doda district came out with posters announcing a reward of Rs 15 lakh for any information on 2 wanted Hizbul Mujahideen leaders - Haroon Abbass Wani and Masood Ahmad.
Last year, senior BJP leader Anil Parihar and his brother Ajit Parihar were attacked outside their house in Kishtwar, while RSS leader Chandrakant Sharma and his security guard were killed near the district hospital on April 9. Jehangir Saroori and his men were behind the killings.
EU delegation arrives in Srinagar
Meanwhile, a 27-member EU parliamentary delegation arrived at Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday. The EU parliamentarians will be allowed to visit Srinagar only while their visit to Kupwara region has been cancelled. This is the first visit by a foreign delegation to Jammu and Kashmir after the scrapping of Article 370.
Nathan Gill, Member of the European Parliament from Wales, said, "It is a good opportunity for us to visit Kashmir as a foreign delegation and be able to see firsthand for ourselves what is happening on the ground." Ahead of the foreign delegation's visit to Kashmir, there were reports of stone pelting from areas of South Kashmir and Srinagar