Kashmir s longest surviving militant commander killed

Srinagar Sep 26 (IANS) Jammu and Kashmir s longest surviving militant commander Qayoom Nazar was killed on Tuesday by security forces when he was trying to sneak into India from Pakistan.

Syed Imtiyaz Hussain the Senior Superintendent of Police in Baramulla confirmed to IANS Nazir s killing along the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri sector.

Giving details about the Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) militant commander s death Hussain said Nazar was baptized into militancy in 1999 when he killed Abdul Majid Dar the then estranged operational commander of the group.

"He belonged to Batapora in Sopore town. He himself was estranged with HM for sometime. That was the reason he was called to HM s base camp in Pakistan to meet Hizbul chief Syed Salahuddin.

"After sorting out issues with him Sallahuddin had sent him back to take over the command of the outfit in Kashmir.

"It was during his bid to infiltrate back into the Valley (on Tuesday) that he was killed."

BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav was the first to tweet that Nazar had been killed.

--IANS
sq/mr