Turf war between terror groups in Kashmir; Lashkar proxy TRF warns Hizbul against attacks on locals

A Lashkar fringe group in Jammu and Kashmir - The Resistance Front - has warned militant organisation Hizbul Mujahideen against the attacks on Kashmiri policemen and civilians. Earlier this week, Hizbul had abducted a Jammu and Kashmir police constable Javid Jabbar who was posted in escort duty of SDPO Zakura Srinagar. The policeman was later rescued by the security forces from the residential area in Mingipora Chatwatan village of Shopian district.

However, the Lashkar fringe group, in a move to win the confidence of locals, said that it was against Hizbuls's attack on Kashmiri policemen and civilians. In a statement doing the rounds Kashmir, The Resistance Front said that Hizbul must understand their fight is not against the Kashmiri people.

"Hizb should understand that our fight is with Indian occupational forces and Indian occupation and not Kashmiri people because they are our own people and we can not fight occupational forces without their support," the group tasked to revive Lashkar in the Valley said.

The statement stated that Commander Abbas, who is now with the TRF, left Hizb because he was against the group's targeting of Kashmiris and that they will take the "hard route" if attacks against Kashmiris are not stopped.

"...we will fight with anyone who kills or hurts any Kashmiri. This is final warning to Hizb. Don't force us to take hard route. No warning now onwards only action. God willing," The Resistance Front said.

The Resistance Front, a proxy for Lashkar

The Resistance Front is a new fringe group in Kashmir which has been given the task to revive Lashkar in the Valley. Like most militant groups, the TRF is also funded by Pakistan and it was given birth to give an indigenous face to terrorism in the Kashmir Valley. According to security forces, TRF is backed by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

The group was behind the first grenade attack in the Valley post the abrogation of Article 370. Recently, it had called for attacks on "Indian security forces, pro-India politicians and every Kashmiri who collaborates with the Indian state." Unlike Hizbul, the TRF proclaims it doesn't support attacks on Kashmiri policemen and civilians.

Last month, the security forces had arrested six members of the Resistance Front from north Kashmir's Baramulla district. They were part of a 10-member module tasked with reviving Lashkar in the Valley. The arrested militants were reportedly in touch with their Lashkar handler in Pakistan, who wanted them to carry out terrorist activities in north Kashmir.

Hizb-ul-Mujahideen

Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, on the other hand, is a Pakistan-backed terrorist organization that is active in Jammu and Kashmir for years and seeks for the integration of Jammu and Kashmir with Pakistan. Hizbul has been declared a terrorist organization by India, the European Union, and the United States. However, it continues to operate within Pakistan and carries out attacks in Kashmir. Riyaz Naikoo is the current chief of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen.