SRINAGAR/SOPORE: :Police on Tuesday announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh each on the heads of two militants, it claims are involved in the spate of recent killings in the restive Sopore town.
Posters announcing the cumulative reward of Rs 20 lakh were circulated in Sopore town and adjoining areas today. The militants named in the posters are Abdul Qayoom Najar and Imtiyaz Ahmad Kandoo, both associated with the Hizbul Mujahedin.
Both of them are residents of Sopore. Qayoom hails from Momakak, Sopore while Imtiyaz is from Kralteng.
According to police, Qayoom joined Hizb in year 1995 and Imtyaz in year 2010 during the height of civil unrest and both are A-plus-plus category militants.
Police said the campaign was launched after their investigations established involvement of the two in recent killings.
However it is not the first time posters bearing the name of Imtyaz have surfaced in Sopore. Police had put up posters in September 2013 in Sopore town and had asking people to help them nab Hizb Divisional Commander Imtiyaz Ahmed Kandoo. However he has been able to dodge police.
The posters appeared following Hygam ambush that year. Police accuses Imtiyaz Kandoo of masterminding the killing of four of their colleagues in Hygam village of the Baramulla district on April 26, 2013.
Furthermore, the police blame Qayoom for killing of a Sarpanch Ghulam Ahmad Bhat of Bomai Sopore and a civilian identified as Abdul Rashid of Rafiabad in Baramulla district.
Even though the police posters link Qayoom and Imtiyaz with Hizbul Mujahideen but the a local news gathering agency GNS quoting security officials reported today that the duo are no more associated with the outfit headed by Syed Salahuddin and are operating independently.
Qayoom and Hizb supreme commander developed strong differences since last year over some key issues, including operations, they said.
Police have given two landline numbers on the posters for those who are willing o share information about the duo.
Name of informant will be kept secret, the posters read. The numbers are of Special Operation Group (SOG) Sopore and Police Control Room Sopore.
The posters read that both the HM militants are equally responsible for the killing of five civilians including Sheikh Altaf-ur-Rehman of Iqbal Nagar Sopore, Muhammad Rafiq Dar of Pohrupet Handwara, Merajudin Dar of Badambagh Sopore, Khurshid Ahmed Bhat of Bomai Sopore and Ghulam Hasan Dar a resident of Dooru.
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