This is an archive article published on September 19, 2023
Uzair Khan, electrician-turned militant who ranked low on J&K police priority, behind killing of Armymen, DSP
In May this year, police were close to killing Uzair when they cordoned him inside a dense forest area of Sagam in Kokernag. However, after a brief gunfight, he managed to escape.
3 min readSrinagarUpdated: Sep 20, 2023 08:08 AM IST
For over a year, Uzair Khan was one among the less than 50 local militants on the police radar, categorised in their records as 'B' – relatively less lethal and unlikely to emerge as a central figure. (Express photo by Shuaib Masoodi)
Uzair Khan, electrician-turned militant who ranked low on J&K police priority, behind killing of Armymen, DSP
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In the Valley, Jammu and Kashmir police keep a profile of every local militant – his age, educational and family background, ideological inclination and military expertise. While profiling underground militants, police categorise them as A, A+, A++,or B. There are several factors taken into account while deciding this – how lethal the militant is, how many attacks or killings he has carried out, his military understanding, his position in the terror outfit, or the potential to emerge as a central figure.
For over a year, Uzair Khan was one among the less than 50 local militants on the police radar, categorised in their records as ‘B’ – relatively less lethal and unlikely to emerge as a central figure.
But a day after three top security officers – Col Manpreet Singh and Major Aashish Dhanchok of the Army’s 19 Rashtriya Rifles and DSP Himayun Muzamil of J&K Police – were killed in a gunfight inside the dense forests of Gadole in south Kashmir’s Kokernag, the spotlight turned to Uzair who, police believe, was behind the killings.
The 28-year-old electrician from Nagam village of south Kashmir’s Kokernag left home in July last year. Some days later, police learned that he had joined the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists operating in south Kashmir. “He was never seen as a big threat,” said a police officer.
In May this year, police were close to killing Uzair when they cordoned him inside a dense forest area of Sagam in Kokernag. However, after a brief gunfight, he managed to escape.
Police sources said he then permanently shifted his base to the dense forests of Kokernag, helping a group of foreign terrorists with his knowledge of the area and its terrain.
“We had information that he had joined a group of foreign militants to act as their guide,” the police officer said. “All this time, our focus was on ‘bigger’ militants like Basit Dar.”
According to villagers, Uzair’s parents separated when he was a young boy. After his mother died, he lived with his father and stepmother, but their relations eventually soured. Uzair and his younger brother were then provided shelter by his maternal grandmother, till he went missing one day in the summer of 2022.
On Thursday, a day after the three senior officers were killed in the Gadole gunfight, the Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Kashmir, Vijay Kumar, said Uzair and one-two other militants were responsible.
On Sunday, police retrieved a charred body from the Gadole forests, who they suspected was a militant. Police then decided on DNA profiling of the body and Uzair’s family. However, on Tuesday, ADGP Kumar confirmed that Uzair was the militant killed in the gunfight.
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
