Within days after eliminating the longest surviving terrorist "commander" of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) outfit, security forces on Friday killed a self-styled top commander of Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) Ashraf Molvi.
Molvi, one of the longest surviving active terrorists of Kashmir, among three HM terrorists were killed by security in South Kashmir's Pahalgam area.
Inspector-General of Police Kashmir zone Vijay Kumar said that Ashraf Molvi along with two other terrorists have been killed in Pahalgam. Police said that an encounter broke out between security forces and terrorists in the Srichand Top forest area of Pahalgam area in the morning.
Based on specific input about the presence of terrorists in the area, security forces launched a cordon and search operation there. The search operation turned into an encounter after the hiding terrorists fired upon the security forces, who retaliated. In the encounter, three terrorists including Ashraf Molvi were eliminated.
Appointed as HM chief after Riyaz Naikoo's killing
Mohammed Ashraf Khan alias Ashraf Molvi- a resident of Tengpawa Kokernag had joined HM in 2013 and soon became the most wanted terrorist in the valley. He was instrumental in recruiting locals into the outfit.
After Riyaz Naikoo's death, Ashraf Molvi became operational chief of Hizbul Mujahideen in 2020. Molvi was chosen as the operational commander for the valley after a meeting was held in Muzzafarabad in Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).
Naikoo was rated as the most-wanted terrorist and had been on the run for the last eight years. Naikoo had a bounty of Rs 12 lakh on his head and became chief of the terror group in Valley after his predecessor Burhan Wani was eliminated in 2016.
Earlier longest surviving terrorist Yosuf Kantroo was killed on April 21
Two terrorists including the longest surviving self-styled commander of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) outfit Mohammad Yosuf Kantroo were eliminated by the security forces on April 21 in north Kashmir's Baramulla district.
Mohammad Yousuf Dar alias Kantur alias Kantroo alias Issa was one of the oldest terrorists in the Valley. The 51-year-old was from Check Kawoosa village in central Kashmir's Budgam district. He rejoined terrorism in 2017 and was associated with LeT.
