Srinagar: After Burhan Wani 's death, Hizbul Mujahideen has appointed a new commander in Kashmir, as per a media report.
According to a report in the Hindustan Times, Mehmood Ghaznavi was announced as the commander in Kashmir by the militant group on Tuesday.
Hizbul chief Syed Salahuddin is said to have held a meeting of the group today and the announcement of Ghaznavi’s appointment was made in a statement issued to local news agency KNS.
However, there was no immediate information available on Ghaznavi as per the report. But there were speculations that his real name was Sabzar Ahmed Bhat.
As per the Daily the police refused to comment on this.
Sabzar (a native of Rathsuna in southern Kashmir) was reportedly a close friend of Wani.
The Daily quoted officials as saying that Sabzar and another militant, Shakir Ahmed Bhat, joined the Hizbul Mujahideen in April 2015 after Wani’s brother, Khalid, was killed by forces in Kamla forests of Tral town.
Meanwhile, sporadic violence continued in Kashmir today, leaving one more person dead and raising the unrest toll to 25, even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the situation and appealed for calm with the hope that no innocent person would face any inconvenience or suffer any loss.
Five other people were injured and several police structures were damaged in violence and arson by mobs at nearly two dozen places in the valley, a police spokesman said, while describing the situation as "under control".
In Delhi, Modi held a high-level meeting to review the Kashmir situation soon after his return from his five-day Africa visit. It was attended by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.
The Prime Minister voiced concern over the situation in the state where the death toll rose to 25 in the violent protests and clashes with security forces, triggered by the killing of Wani last Friday.
"He (PM) has appealed to the people of Jammu and Kashmir to maintain peace so that the situation can normalise. He (PM) also expressed hope that no innocent person should face any kind of inconvenience or loss," Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh said after the meeting, as per PTI.
PM Modi said the Centre will provide whatever help is needed by the state government, according to Jitendra Singh.
In the valley, one person was killed when policemen opened fire to disperse a stone-pelting mob outside Kralpora police station in Kupwara district of north Kashmir, the police spokesman said.
"A mob attacked the Police Station and set on fire a Police vehicle in which policemen got trapped. While dealing with the incident, one person was injured who later on succumbed to injuries," he said.
Adil Ahmad Mattoo, who was injured in the firing incident at Bijbehara yesterday, succumbed to injuries at SMHS hospital here late last night, the spokesman said.
Mattoo was reportedly pursuing M.Com course from Delhi University and had returned home recently to celebrate Eid- ul-Fitr with his family.
While normal life remained paralysed, unidentified militants targeted a police post in Sopore, about 55 kms from Srinagar, firing seven to eight rounds but no one was injured.
"During stone pelting on Police and CRPF deployment, a stone pelter identified as Arhan Mir of Bijbehara picked up a tear smoke shell, which exploded in his hand due to which he was injured," the police spokesman said.
The incidents of stone pelting were reported from Tral, Nowdal, Gadbugh, Batnag, Chindrigam, Shopian, Memander, Frisal, Yaripora, Ruhama, Rajpora, Newa Bijbehara and Goriwan in the four south Kashmir districts of Anantnag, Pulwama, Kulgam and Shopian, exchange road Beerwa in central Kashmir Budgam, Main Chowk Sopore, Warpora, Khanpora bridge, Baramulla in Baramulla district, Langate and Trehgam in Kupwara district and Popchan and Bandipora in Bandipora district.
Miscreants set ablaze a police guard room at Gadbugh, a minority picket guard room at Batnag, Tral, and a guard room of Police Post Ruhama in Pulwama district, the spokesman said.
Miscreants also lobbed a petrol bomb on CRPF and police party deployed in Safa Kadal area of downtown Srinagar.
(With Agency inputs)
