Security forces in the border district of Kupwara in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir have busted a module of the proscribed terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) by arresting a hybrid terrorist and recovering arms and ammunition from his possession.
According to reports, in a joint operation, Handwara Police, along with the 21 Rashtriya Rifles and 92 Battalion of the CRPF, busted a terror module of the banned HM operating in the Handwara-Kupwara belt of north Kashmir.
An ex-terrorist functioning as a hybrid terrorist was apprehended from Handwara town, and a Chinese-made pistol along with ammunition was recovered from his possession.
A police spokesperson said Handwara Police had received reliable information regarding the activities of an ex-terrorist who was operating as a hybrid terrorist as part of a Hizbul Mujahideen module in the Handwara-Kupwara area.
A hybrid terrorist refers to an unlisted, radicalised individual who carries out a specific subversive or violent task assigned by handlers and then slips back into normal civilian life.
Acting swiftly on the information, security forces launched an operation at the identified location in Handwara town, the spokesperson said.
Following a meticulous security drill, the accused was apprehended and identified as Manzoor Ahmad Bhat, a resident of Kruhmura, Handwara, he said.
A Chinese-made pistol, two magazines and 16 rounds of pistol ammunition were recovered from his possession, the spokesperson said.
According to the spokesperson, Bhat is an ex-terrorist who had previously been arrested in two cases.
A fresh case has been registered against him at Handwara police station, and an investigation is underway to establish the full extent of the module, its network and other associated activities, police said.
The investigation is also aimed at mapping the module’s wider network, handlers and associates.
In recent years, security agencies have repeatedly highlighted the challenge posed by “hybrid terrorism”, in which radicalised local youth or former terrorists operate without being formally listed as terrorists, carry out assigned tasks such as targeted killings, logistics or arms movement, and then resume normal civilian life.
This model has been used by various terror outfits, including Hizbul Mujahideen, to maintain a low profile while sustaining terror-related activities in the Valley.
Police said further investigation would focus on establishing the module’s wider linkages, any ongoing conspiracy and the role of external handlers.
The operation underscores the continued focus of security forces on neutralising hybrid threats aimed at reviving or sustaining the terror infrastructure in north Kashmir.