Militant killed in Poonch was Hizb commander, outfit’s veteran: Army

M S Nazki

Poonch : Militant killed in Poonch has been identified as Hizb-ul-Mujahideen commander Muneser Hussain of the district.
“The killed (militant) has been identified on the basis of Police records as Muneser Hussain son of Sattar Mohammad of Bagyladra Poonch,”Lt Col Suneel Bartwal
PRO(Defence) Jammu said ina statement to GNS. “He was a Divison Commander of Hizbul Mujahideen(HM).”

In 1993, he said, he went to PaK, came back in 1996 and again returned to PaK in 1998.”He has masterminded number of attacks on SFs. As per Police Records his family of two wives and children are residents of Surankote, Poonch.”

Hussain was close associate of Maulana Dawood Kashmir(TuJ) who in turn is a close associate of Syed Salauddin (HM), he said.

“Recently high level meeting of HM group took place in Islamabad which he attended. Agenda of meeting was revival of HM in Rajouri Poonch,” he said, adding, “From this we can make out that Muneer Hussain along with his body guard was sent with the agenda of reviving HM in Rajouri Poonch / South of Pir-Panjal (SPPR).” The PRO said that Hussain was given a larger leadership role of “Tanzeems and told to revive terrorism South of Pir Panjal”
Hussain, he said, was the Senior most leader of HM. “He is the most dreaded (militant) killed in the last 10 years in Rajouri/Poonch.”

He said it was evident that Pak is trying to send old militant “veterans” to JK to motivate and recruit youth thus making “desperate attempts to revive” militancy.