Who is Hameed Lelhari? After the Indian Army neutralized top Kashmiri militant Zakir Musa, Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGH) has announced Hameed Lelhari as Zakir Musa’s successor and the outfit’s new head, according to Times of India.
According to the report, in a video released by al-Hurr (AGH’s official media wing), Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind’s spokesperson Abu Ubaidah Hafizahullah said that Hameed Lelhari alias Haroon Abbas has replaced Musa while Ghazi Ibrahim Khalid has been appointed as his deputy.
Hameed Lelhari is a resident of Pulwama and a member of Islamist organisation Jamait-Ahl-e-Hadith. The officials of the Jammu and Kashmir police have confirmed the veracity of the claim in the video. “Hameed Lelhari has taken over Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind but he is hardly a top terrorist,” an officer was quoted in the report as saying.
However, the police in Kashmir had no idea about his deputy Ghazi Ibrahim Khalid’s identity and background. The security forces had killed Zakir Musa, who headed the AGH, on 23 May. Hameed Lelhari served as Musa’s deputy after he and around a dozen terrorists split from Hizbul Mujahideen and swore allegiance to al-Qaeda in July 2017.
