Hizbul Mujahideen, LeT behind BJP, RSS leaders' killings in Kishtwar district: Police

A senior police officer said Monday the group behind the fatal attacks on an RSS leader and a BJP leader and his brother in April and November, respectively, in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir has been identified and efforts are on to arrest its members.

RSS leader Chandrakant Sharma and his security guard were killed by a terrorist inside the Kishtwar district hospital on April 9, while state secretary of BJP, Anil Parihar, and his brother Ajeet Parihar were killed in the town on November 1 last year.

"We have identified the group behind the killings. The vehicle used in the latest killing was purchased by one Zahid but he had joined the militant ranks and is moving around with Osama," the Inspector General of Police, Jammu, M K Sinha told reporters in Jammu.

Osama is one of the seven terrorists of Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashker-e-Toiba active in Kishtwar district.

"From where the militants came and went after the recent attack have been worked out. We are aware how they carried out the killing but are not able to locate them yet and we are working on that," the officer said.

Last month, police circulated pictures of the seven terrorists and announced a cash reward and a job to anyone providing information leading to their arrest or killing.

The hilly Kishtwar district in Jammu province, which was declared terrorism-free over a decade ago, was rattled by the recent killings.

"For any information leading to get hold live or dead - Cash reward in Lakhs & job," a poster put up by district police Kishtwar at various places read.

The pictures of the wanted terrorists - Mohammad Amin alias "Jahangir", Riaz Ahmed alias "Hazari", Mudassir Hussain, Jamal Din alias "Abu Bakar", Talib Hussain and Junaid Akram and Usama Bin Javed alias "Osama" are put alongside.

The poster ends with a message that the identity of the informant would be kept secret.

Police sources said while Jehangir and Hazari, affiliated with Hizbul Mujahideen, are the longest surviving terrorists in the state who have never been caught since the inception of terrorism in the state in early 1990s.

Five others including LeT terrorist Osama have joined terror ranks last year, the sources said adding they included two students who were pursuing studies in Kashmir valley.

-PTI