Slain terrorist Junaid recruited Kashmir youth into Hizbul in exchange for drugs

New Delhi, May 20: In a major hit, the Indian security forces shot dead top Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist, Junaid Sehrai.

Junaid, the sone of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat chairman, Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai was killed in an encounter that took place at Nawa Kadal in Srinagar's downtown area. Ashraf Sarai, who is a hardliner was elected after his predecessor, Syed Ali Shah Geelani relinquished his post in 2018. Sehrai was the general secretary of the organisation since its formation in 2004.

Prior to joining the Hizbul Mujahideen, Junaid would mastermind stone-pelting attacks on the security forces. He would lead to mobs and create disturbances in various parts of the Valley. The main intention of these acts would be to disturb anti-insurgency operations, IGP of the Kashmir range, Vijay Kumar said.

However, later Junaid decided to take up arms and joined the Hizbul Mujahideen. He was made the divisional commander for Central Kashmir, which covered Srinagar, Budgam and Ganderbal districts.

In the Hizbul Mujahideen, he had several roles. He was involved in several grenade attacks on the security forces. He was also active in smuggling narcotics and distributing them among the youth. He would supply drugs to the youth and in exchange would ask them to become overground workers of the Hizbul.

He has been on the hit-list for sometime now as he was able to actively recruit said, a security official told OneIndia. Moreover, he had started to play a bigger role within the outfit after several top commanders of the Hizbul were killed. His killing comes two weeks after the killing of Riyaz Naikoo, who was leading the outfit in the Valley.

On Tuesday, the security forces received a specific tip-off regarding the whereabouts of Junaid and his associate Taqiq Ahmed Sheikh. A joint team of the CRPF and the Jammy and Kashmir police's special operation group launched a cordon and search operation. The residents in the area were evacuated first before launching the operation. During the final assault, a terrorist hurled a grenade, in which two CRPF personnel were injured, DGP of J&K, Dilbagh Singh said.

Following this, the hideouts were bombed which resulted in the killing of both the terrorists. The DGP said that there are not more than 240 terrorists active in the Valley.

14 are in central Kashmir, Singh said while adding that 73 have been killed in the year 2020. 95 terrorists have been arrested so far this year.