Al-Qaeda Linked Terrorist Zakir Musa Killed in Kashmir Gunfight -Report

Sputnik News

18:52 23.05.2019

The gunfight broke out when Zakir Musa – a local terrorist popular in the Kashmir valley – opened fire after the security forces approached the house where he was hiding. Since the Pulwama attack, around 90 terrorists have been killed in gun-battles with Indian security forces in Kashmir.

New Delhi (Sputnik) – A most wanted Al-Qaeda terrorist was killed following a fierce gunfight with security forces in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, a media report said. The terrorist was Zakir Musa, the commander of the group Ansar Ghazwat ul-Hindi, which is affiliated with Al-Qaeda.

The encounter occurred in a village in the state's Pulwama district.

Musa, said to be the successor of terrorist Burhan Wani, who was killed in 2016, was trapped by a joint team of the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and the Central Reserve Security Force (CRPF) following intelligence inputs received in the evening.

Musa was a long-time aide of terror group Hizbul commander Wani. However, he parted ways with the outfit after Wani was killed on 11 July 2016.

Months-long unrest was triggered by the killing of Wani in 2016, in which hundreds of Kashmiris reportedly suffered pellet injuries after being fired at by security forces for turning violent and resorting to stone-pelting.

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