Hizbul Mujahideen Chief Killed In Kashmir

For the second time in 2020, Indian security forces killed Hizbul Mujahideen’s leader — a big setback for the militant organization.

Raisa Nastukova

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Police and protestors clash in September 2017 via Tasnim News Agency under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

“I protected my children under my wings like a hen does her chicks. I didn’t know he would run away like this… He wanted to be a doctor. He said he would help people. He didn’t become one but went into the medical line nevertheless. Then, he suddenly picked up the gun,” said Sarwa Begum about her son, Hizbul Mujahideen chief Saifullah Mir, in an interview with Riyaz Wani for Huffington Post India.

Indian security forces killed Saifullah Mir, also known as Ghazi Haider or Dr. Saifullah, in a gunfight on November 1 in Rangreth on the outskirts of Srinagar. Mir was the chief of the Hizbul Mujahideen, a militant group founded 30 years ago with the aim of uniting India-administered Kashmir with Pakistan.

Before joining the Hizbul Mujahideen, Saifullah Mir was a repairman of medical equipment. Neighbors in his home village of Malangpora, Pulwama described him as quiet and religious. However, in 2014, his family lost contact with Saifullah after he joined the militants.

According to police statements, Saifullah was behind last week’s killing of three Indian political workers from the Bharatiya Janata Party.

“He had killed many innocent people including three policemen. He was behind the killing of two truck drivers immediately after the abrogation of Article 370. He attacked a Sarpanch in Kulgam recently but he survived the attack… He also had a hand in the killing of three BJP workers in Kulgam earlier this week. He is involved in over a dozen terror cases and has killed over half-a-dozen people. He was also involved in harming several people and destroying government property, as well as involved in several grenade attacks,” said Director General of Police Dilbag Singh during a press conference, as reported in the New Indian Express on November 1.

The Hizbul Mujahideen named Saifullah as the new chief in May 2020, only days after the death of chief Riyaz Naikoo. The Indian security forces killed Naikoo during a gunfight in his home village of Beighpora. Beighpora is only about five kilometers from Malangpora —…

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Raisa Nastukova

Freelance journalist focused on stories of both Kashmir culture and society as well as the rising tide of climate change.