Srinagar | Updated: February 27, 2018 05:47 AM IST
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This is the second time in three months that the IS has claimed responsibility for an attack on policemen in Srinagar. (Photo for representation)
While the police have in the past ruled out the presence of the Islamic State (IS) in Kashmir, the global terror outfit’s mouthpiece has claimed responsibility for Sunday’s attack in which a policeman guarding the residence of Hurriyat leader Fazal Haq Qureshi was killed.
The incident took place in Soura area of Srinagar, and militants escaped with the slain policeman’s rifle.
“Assassinated an element of police in firing near city of Srinagar in Kashmir yesterday,” Al Amaq News Agency of the IS has claimed.
This is the second time in three months that the IS has claimed responsibility for an attack on policemen in Srinagar.
Sources in J&K Police said eyewitness accounts hint towards the role of a recent militant recruit, Esa Fazili. “There were apprehensions that Esa may have links with the Islamic State,” a senior police officer privy to probe details said. “Yesterday’s incident, and the IS claim, has given credence to such reports.”
Sources said responsibility for the attack was first taken by the IS on a Telegram channel ‘Kashmir Villayah’.
The Indian Express had earlier reported that the state police had found a few closed Telegram channels of the IS in Kashmir.
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A resident of Soura, Esa Fazili was studying engineering at Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah (BGSB) University in Rajouri before joining the militant ranks in August last year, sources said. They said Fazili had initially joined the Zakir Musa-led group of militants but when Zakir announced setting up Ansar Ghazwatul Hind, an Al Qaeda affiliate, in Kashmir, Fazili had differences, as he was more inclined towards the Islamic State.
In November last year, Al Amaq had claimed that the IS had carried out an attack in Zakura, on Srinagar’s outskirts, in which a policeman and a militant had been killed. The agency, however, had said that a Pakistani policeman was killed in the attack, raising doubts about its claim. The channel ‘Al-Qaraar’, investigation has found, also claimed that Srinagar militant Mugees Ahmad Mir, who was killed on November 17 last year in an encounter with the police, was the first militant of the terror outfit.
Bashaarat Masood is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express. He has been covering Jammu and Kashmir, especially the conflict-ridden Kashmir valley, for two decades. Bashaarat joined The Indian Express after completing his Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University in Kashmir. He has been writing on politics, conflict and development. Bashaarat was awarded with the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2012 for his stories on the Pathribal fake encounter.
Expertise and Experience
Two Decades of Frontline Reporting: Bashaarat has spent 20 years documenting the evolution of Kashmir, from high-intensity conflict and political shifts to socio-economic development.
Award-Winning Investigative Journalism: He is a recipient of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award (2012). This honor was bestowed for his reporting on the Pathribal fake encounter, a series of stories that highlighted his ability to handle sensitive human rights and security issues with investigative rigor.
Specialized Beats: His authoritative coverage spans:
Political Transitions: Tracking the shift from statehood to Union Territory, electoral dynamics, and the pulse of local governance.
Security & Conflict: Providing nuanced reporting on counter-insurgency, civil liberties, and the impact of the conflict on the civilian population.
Development: Documenting the infrastructure, healthcare, and educational landscape within the Valley.
Academic Background: He holds a Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University of Kashmir, providing him with a localized academic and professional foundation that is rare in regional reporting. ... Read More
3 min read
This is the second time in three months that the IS has claimed responsibility for an attack on policemen in Srinagar. (Photo for representation)
