By YKA Staff:
Jaish-e-Mohammed, a terror organisation founded by Maulana Masood Azhar – who was released by the National Democratic Alliance government in 1999 as part of a deal following a plane (IC-814) hijack – made a “comeback” on Wednesday, reported The Hindu.
The Hindu report headlined ‘Jaish Returns to Kashmir with Fidayeen Attack‘, stated that three terrorists belonging to the organisation based in Pakistan launched an attack on an army camp in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir. All three terrorists were killed in the shoot-out with the security forces, whereas a civilian, Tanveer Ahmed, employed with the military engineering services, also lost his life. According to the newspaper, the new attack was an attempt at a “comeback” after the organisation was “wiped out in north and south Kashmir” following the killings of two senior functionaries in October this year, including its commander-in-chief Adil Pathan.
The Hindu report quoted anonymous sources in the security establishment expressing their worry that JeM was keen to benefit out of the “growing alienation in the valley, with many youths joining the Hizbul Mujahideen.” The Hizbul Mujahideen is a terror organisation banned by the Indian government. It is one of the largest terror organisations, currently active in the Jammu and Kashmir.
Assembly elections were held successfully last year in the state and the Peoples Democratic Party-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance is currently in power. However, the IS flag has been shown lately by disgruntled youth after the Friday prayers in the old town.
Earlier this year, A.S.Dulat, former chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) revealed in his book Kashmir – The Vajpayee Years that the government had considered raiding the hijacked plane when it was stationed at Dubai airport but nothing came out of it. The plane was finally taken to Kandahar, Afghanistan. The then defence minister Jaswant Singh escorted the three terrorists who had to be released as part of the deal in a RAW plane.