Hizbul Terrorist From Kashmir Shot Dead In Pakistan; Social Media Awash With Speculation About Covert 'Indian Hand'

Bashir Ahmad Pir alias Imtiyaz Alam, a 'top ranking commander' of terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen, which has been fighting Pakistan's proxy war against India in Kashmir, has been shot dead in Pakistan's Rawalpindi.

Alam, believed to have been close to Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin, was attacked and killed on Monday (20 February).

The Pakistani asset was responsible for dispatching fresh recruits into Kashmir by identifying infiltration routes and providing the logistics.

Designating Alam as a terrorist in October 2022 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Narendra Modi government described him as a "launching commander" of Hizbul Mujahideen, "especially for infiltrating into Kupwara, and coordinating with other terrorist groups for terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir".

The notification said Alam was involved in "a number of online propaganda groups to unite ex-militants and other cadres for the furtherance of activities of Hizb-Ul-Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Taiba and others".

In the past, Alam has been accused of killing terrorist Zakir Musa, chief commander of Ansar Gazwat-ul-Hind, an offshoot of al-Qaeda.

Many social media users speculated about a possible "Indian hand" in the killing of the Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist in Pakistan's capital.

On Twitter, the development led many users to ask whether India's use of covert means had rendered the Pakistan Army's strategy of providing a safe haven to terrorists who launch attacks in India unviable.

Meanwhile, Pakistan media reported that the terrorists had been shot dead by "unidentified gunmen" outside a shop in Islamabad.

Once the most successful terror formation in the Kashmir Valley, Hizbul Mujahideen has weakened significantly in the last few years with the killing of its cadre, the busting of its terror modules, and the arrest of its over-ground workers trained to recruit Kashmiri youth.

Starting in 2016, many of its top leaders, including terrorist Burhan Wani, have been neutralized by the security forces.