The authorities in Jammu and Kashmir fear that there are more ISIS terrorists active in the Kashmir valley than is estimated. The government and the intelligence grid are in a tizzy after, in a shootout at Hakoora village of South Kashmir, the third militant has been identified as belonging to Telengana. The security forces are still trying to connect some dots about the footprints of ISIS and Al-Qaeda in the Kashmir Valley.
According to the state intelligence inputs, the presence of ISIS militants from South India, especially from Kerala and Telangana, cannot be ruled out and they fear that the group has managed to create a few modules in the Kashmir Valley. In the recent high level meeting of the state and Central intelligence Agencies, the state government has been alerted to remain cautious to face the fallout of such growing pan-Islamic militant movements in Kashmir.
“At the funeral of Eisa Fazili on the outskirts of Srinagar at Soura, there was a quarrel between pro-Pakistani flag bearers and ISIS flag bearers. Many youth opposed the raising of any pro-Azadi and pro-Pakistan slogans. This is a dangerous trend,” a senior police officer told this reporter. He said that pan-Islamic organisations like ISIS and Al-Qaeda have managed to create their modules in Kashmir valley especially in Srinagar and the police set-up is fearing some major attacks by the group in order to come into prominence.
The J&K police after the encounter at Hakoora village on 12 March was more than certain that the third unidentified militant was a Pakistani. They were taken by surprise when they finally got the confirmation from the Telangana police that Muhammad Taufeeq was from their state and had had no militant or criminal record in his parent state.
According to state DGP S.P. Vaid, Taufeeq was radicalised on social media and he came to Kashmir to join the group.