The Indian Army has claimed that it has wiped out the Pakistan-based terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed’s leadership in the Kashmir Valley and very close to eliminating Hizbul Mujahideen.
Attack on Amarnath Yatra Justifies the Fear of Pilgrims and Kashmiri Pandits
According to India Today quoting 15 Corps commander, Lt Gen KJS Dhillon – terror groups like the Lashkar-e-Taiba and al-Badr have been completely decimated, and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen only has one commander (Riyaz Kaikoo) left, he said.
On Saturday, the Jammu and Kashmir Police said JeM’s self-styled Kashmir chief Qari Yasir was among three militants killed in encounter in Tral in South Kashmir. Yasir is a Pakistan-based terrorist; he was behind the killing of two members of the nomadic Gujjar community from Pulwama district in August last year.
Formed in 2000, Jaish-e-Muhammad is a Pakistan-based terror group that aims to overthrow Indian control over Jammu and Kashmir through attacks on security and government targets. The group was founded by Masood Azhar, who previously fought under the banner of Harkat-ul-Mujahideen and has been linked to al-Qaeda.
Azhar founded JeM after he was released from Indian custody in 1999, in exchange for more than 150 hostages held on an Indian Airlines flight that had been hijacked and diverted to Kandahar in Afghanistan. Azhar is said to have formed JeM with the support of then-al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden and the Afghan Taliban, according to the United Nations.
The group is said to have actively supported the Afghan Taliban’s fight against US-led NATO forces since 2001. JeM has carried out several high-profile suicide attacks against Indian targets since its formation including the Pulwama attacks where over 40 CRFP soldiers were killed.
