On Wednesday, a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) hybrid terrorist arrested for killing two migrant labourers was killed in a firing by another terrorist, the police informed. The dead terrorist has been identified as Imran Bashir Ganai, a resident of Harmain in Shopian. He was reportedly shot dead by another terrorist during an anti-terror operation in Jammu and Kashmir.
He was arrested for two migrant labourers named Ram Sagar and Munesh Kumar in a grenade attack in the Harmain area of South Kashmir’s Shopian. The accused terrorist had hurled a grenade inside a shed where labourers from Uttar Pradesh’s Kannauj had come to Shopian in search of work and were sleeping.
Ganai was described as a ‘hybrid terrorist,’ a term used by police to describe someone who is not classified as a terrorist but commits terrorist acts and then goes back into society without any trace and carries on with their normal life.
“Based on the disclosure of arrested hybrid terrorist and in continuous raids by police and security forces, another contact has been established between terrorists and SFs at Nowgam, Shopian, in which hybrid terrorist namely Imran Bashir Ganaie killed by the firing of another terrorist,” the Kashmir Zone Police said on Twitter.
Based on disclosure of arrested hybrid #terrorist & in continuous raids by Police & security forces, another contact has been established between terrorists & SFs at Nowgam #Shopian, in which hybrid terrorist namely Imran Bashir Ganaie killed by firing of another terrorist. (1/2)
— Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) October 18, 2022
“Incriminating materials, arms, and ammunition were recovered from the point of contact. The search is still ongoing. Further details shall follow.” His accomplice was also arrested on Tuesday, on his disclosure.
#Incriminating materials, arms & ammunition has been recovered from the hideout/site of contact. Search still going on. Further details shall follow. (2/2)@JmuKmrPolice
— Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) October 18, 2022
According to ADGP Vijay Kumar, Imran and his associate have confessed to police about the grenade-throwing incident on labourers, which killed two of them on the spot. According to Vijay Kumar, these two hybrid terrorists carried out the attack on the orders of Lashkar Commander Abid and Danish, and forces are raiding several locations to apprehend these terrorists.
Vijay Kumar went on to say that the killing of Kashmiri Pandit Pooran Krishan Bhat on October 15th was also carried out by the LeT. He stated that forces are searching for such terrorists who are carrying out soft targets on non-locals and that they will be eliminated soon.
“The main culprit, the terrorist for whom Ganai was working, will be eliminated very soon. The labourers are soft targets. They don’t have any security. It’s a heinous attack and a cowardly act. We will respond in equal measure,”ADGP Kumar was informed.
On Saturday, terrorists murdered Pooran Krishan Bhat, a Kashmiri Pandit, in Shopian’s Chowdery Gund village. The targeted killing of Kashmiri Hindus has sparked protests across Jammu and Kashmir.
Hybrid Terrorists: Who are they?
In recent years, the valley has seen an increase in the number of hybrid terrorists or part-time terrorists. ‘Hybrid’ terrorists are unidentified radicalised individuals who carry out terror attacks and then disappear, often without leaving any trace. These terrorists, according to security agencies, are not ultras. However, anti-national forces have radicalised them to the point where they are willing to carry out a terror attacks.
Terrorists are defined by security agencies as “boys next door” who are kept on standby mode by terrorist organisations. These hybrid terrorists live their normal lives in between two tasks. They are difficult to track and trace because they live among the general population.
