Conflict

LeT chief’s nephew replaced by younger brother ‘Osama’ in North Kashmir: Reports

‘Third man from Lakhvi family is in Kashmir’

New Delhi: According to a report in the Indian Express, a newspaper based in India, Musaib, the nephew of Lashkar-e-Toiba’s chief, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi has been replaced by his younger brother Umair alias Osama in north Kashmir.

As per the report, this is the third member of the Lakhvi’s family who has joined Lashkar’s ranks and come to fight in Kashmir.

In 2007, Lakhvi’s 20-year-old son Mohammad Qasim was killed in a fierce gunbattle with the Army and J-K police.

Reports say that Qasim had crossed over to the Valley in July 2006 and was based in Bandipore where “although he operated as an ordinary militant, the then Lashkar district commander Abu Wafa (who was killed in the gunbattle with him) would always shadow him like a bodyguard”.

According to the report around 10 Lashkar militants and commanders who had “ex-filtrated” after spending years in Kashmir are also back and the area in the outskirts of Srinagar city, the Harwan-Dhara belt, where Lashkar’s senior people used to be stationed, has been “activated again”.

Umair is part of a group of six Pakistani Lashkar militants who are operating in the Hajin area. “This group is led by Mehmood and they are also accompanied by two local militants,’’ the Indian express reported quoting a source.

Lakhvi’s nephew Musaib was Lashkar’s divisional commander when he was killed in an encounter in Hajin earlier this year.

Inspector General of J&K Police, Kashmir zone, Muneer Khan confirmed the Indian Express report that Musaib’s younger brother Umair is active in Hajin but denied that he has shifted his base to South Kashmir. “He is very much present in Hajin belt. They (Lashkar) have been trying to bring a consignment of weapons to South (from north Kashmir) but haven’t been able to do so,’’ he said.

Click to comment
To Top