Srinagar: As per the latest Police data, there are 81 Militants Active In Kashmir including 33 Locals, The Week reported.
Out of the 81 currently active militants in Kashmir, the largest faction comprises 48 members affiliated with LeT, followed by 19 associated with Jaish e Mohammed, 12 with Hizbul Mujahideen, and two with Al Badr.
Among the 81 active militants in Jammu and Kashmir, 48 are foreigners from Pakistan, while 33 are locals, according to the latest police data.
South Kashmir hosts the largest number of active militants, with 56 in total, including 28 foreign and local militants. This region encompasses districts like Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian, and Kulgam, which continue to be hotbeds of militancy.
In North Kashmir, there are 16 active militants with 13 of them being foreigners operating in Baramulla, Kupwara, and Bandipora.
In central Kashmir, comprising Srinagar, Budgam, and Ganderbal, nine militants remain active, seven of whom have crossed over from the border (LOC), The Week reported.
Notably, at least ten key handlers associated with militant outfits such as LeT, JeM, and HM are on the security forces’ most-wanted list. Among them is Saifullah Sajid Jutt, an LeT and People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF) handler based in Pakistan. The government recently banned PAFF for employing both physical and social media platforms to radicalise and recruit militants in the Valley.
The list, as per The Week also includes TRF chief Sheikh Sajad Gull from Srinagar, Hizbul handler Mushtaq Ahmad Zargar, along with LeT’s Hashir Rafiq Parray and Mohammad Jameel Sheergojar from Bandipora, Mohammad Umer Mir and Bilal Ahmad Mir from Sopore, and Arbaz Ahmed Mir, the LeT commander in Kulgam. JeM’s Ashiq Negroo and Al Badr’s Burhan Hamza from Pulwama are reported to have fled to Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, from where they plan their operations.
Intelligence sources of The Week indicate that these handlers are actively collaborating with at least five foreign militants in Kashmir, including LeT operational commanders Abu Zargam, Abu Hurraira, Khalid, Umer, and JeM’s Moosa Sulaimani, all originating from Pakistan.
Nearly 600 militants have been neutralised in the past three years.