Problems increase for HM in Jammu

Jammu, Nov 26 (UNI) The pro-Pakistan militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) is facing a shortage of ''motivated and well educated commanders'' to carry forward 'jihad' in this region of Jammu and Kashmir, besides decreased local support, according to intelligence sources.

The situation, intelligence sources said, has become more difficult for the HM after security forces gunned down their top leaders, including a 'divisional commander', in thickly-forested Doda district last month.

The HM outfit, which had inflicted many casualities on the security forces since the sprout of militancy in 1990, comprises majority of local youth trained Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

In its starting days, HM cadres were considered as the ''most harmful'' for the security forces as they, being locals, used to get support from the people.

Moreover, the early 'commanders' of the HM were ''motivated'' and belonged to ''well educated'' families.

At the moment, sources said, HM was confronting with two big problems. ''One they are not getting support from people, which they used to get earlier, and the second, they are managing manpower from less privileged families only as 'wilful entry' of educated youths in militancy is almost stopped.'' With the lack of ''motivated and educated leaders'' the militancy bids by HM had also become ineffective. ''(Now) they don't have well-planned strategy before making any attempt but a sheer frustration,'' official sources said.

In militancy hotbeds of Bhaderwah and Ballessa areas in Doda, people have started calling HM militants as 'HM-e-Daaku' (in local language), meaning Dacoits of Hizbul Mujahideen.

''Like dacoits of Chambal they (MH militants) also keep on demanding money or other necessary items from people,'' local sources in Bhaderwah said.

According to sources, Mohd Ahsan and Hussain Khateeb, both residents of thick-forested district of Doda, who had brought militancy to this region, were engineers by profession, sources said.

Ahsan, first self-styled 'divisional commander' of HM, was eliminated by security forces in 1994, while Khateeb reportedly went back to Pakistan, sources said.

After Ahsan the reins of HM in Jammu were handed over to Shahid Malik, a post-graduate.

Malik's successors Abas Rahi (killed in 2002), Javed Lave (killed in 2003) and Jamshed Marker (killed in 2005) were the 'highly educated and motivated commanders' of HM, sources said.

Thereafter have started a chain of 'less-educated' commanders for HM, beginning with Javid Barky, who was killed last month, sources said.

Recently, sources said, one Junaid-ul Islam had been named as 'divisional commander' by HM for this region.

But the silence after the killings of 'divisional and district commanders' last month, says a lot about sufferings of HM.

Sources said the recent killings of its 'commanders' had created a ''big void'' in the ranks of local militants, majority of which hails from poor and less privileged classes.

However, sources said, there was no scarcity of funds to lure young people but the trust of locals on 'tanzeems' (outfits) has reached all time low.

The stories, which surrendered militants share with the locals, had also played a major role in checking the recruitment of local youths by militant outfits.

Only the illiterates and poor people are the catch of militant outfits, they said.

Surrendered HM militant Aijaz Ahamed, while talking to UNI, said the discrimination in the ranks had taught him a lesson and he decided to surrender before the security forces.

''The big share always goes to the bosses, who enjoy sitting in the urban areas,'' he said.

''I was taken to PoK by Harkat-ul-Jihad-e-Islami (HUJI) in 2000 and received weapon training in HM camps there, before infiltrating from Rajouri border,'' said Ahamed, who surrendered on January 6 this year.

UNI VJ RP KN1620