Nowgam-Budgam Road – A fresh death trap for militants in Kashmir

SRINAGAR — The crucial road stretch connecting Nowgam of Srinagar with central Kashmir’s Budgam district and also with the south Kashmir’s Pulwama district has proved out to be fatal for the militants as top Lashkar-e-Tobia, Jaish-e-Muhammad and Hizbul Mujahideen outfit were gunned down on this very stretch since 2017, KNO has learnt from reliable sources in the security grid of Kashmir.

A senior police officer, on the condition of anonymity, said that after the continuous inputs about the travel and frequent movement by militants including top commanders on the road stretch that include Nowgam to Chadoora and also beyond through an artery that connects Budgam with Pulwama, a strategy was devised to intensify both “technical and human intelligence.”

“On this stretch, top commanders that include Lashkar-e-Toiba’s most wanted commander Naveed Jatt was also killed on this very stretch, though in a house. He was the biggest catch of the year 2018,” the officer said.

He said that before Jatt, a top commander of Jaish-e-Muhammad Abu Ismail was also killed using this stretch. “He was involved in the attack on the Amarnath pilgrims’ bus in 2017 that left nine pilgrims dead and dozens injured at Anantnag district,” he said.

Besides Jatt, who had given tough times to security forces after managing to escape from SMHS hospital Srinagar in February 2018 after killing two policemen guarding him, and Abu Ismail recently, security forces managed to kill top commander of Jaish-e-Muhammad outfit Abu Zarar in Chekpora, Kanipora area of Budgam district. And the latest was Hizbul Mujahideen’s wanted militant, Hilal Ahmad Bhat, who was active since 2017 and was killed at Bugam area of Chadoora in Budgam district.

Official figures suggest that in Budgam, 23 militants were killed since 2017. Sources further revealed that the road stretch from Nowgam to Chadoora and the road link connecting Pulwama with Nowgam was used by the militants to carry out frequent travel from south Kashmir to Srinagar.

“The main purpose was to receive and distribute consignments including grenades and bullets. Besides, Jaish-e-Muhammad outfit was also using this road to carry out sniping attacks,” sources in the security forces said.

They said that both technical and human intelligence was being used to track the movement of militants using this road and “a major success was achieved in the recent past.”

“All the three commanders of Lashkar, Jaish and Hizb were involved in recruiting local boys into militancy. So a major dent was caused to these three outfits with the killing of their four top commanders on this road stretch,” they said.

He said that vigil will continue to remain on this road stretch to prevent travel of militants.

Interestingly, this year so far, 125 militants including 15 top commanders of various militants have been killed while as in the past three years, 724 militants have been killed.