Hizbul recruits seen hugging, laughing in new video; Srinagar scribe quizzed over links with militants

The terrorists are seen in an orchard, carrying weapons, including INSAS rifles which were apparently stolen or snatched from police personnel.  

Hizbul recruits seen hugging, laughing in new video; Srinagar scribe quizzed over links with militants

Srinagar: A new video of Hizbul Mujahideen showing a group of armed terrorists, greeting and hugging each other, has gone viral on social media in a reminder of the campaign by their young commander Burhan Wani who was killed by security forces in July.

In the four-and-a-half minute video, 12 terrorists are seen in an orchard, carrying weapons, including INSAS rifles which were apparently stolen or snatched from police personnel. They are seen laughing and hugging each other.

Burhan Wani, 22, actively used social media to recruit young Kashmiri men - he featured in videos and photos with weapons and taunting security forces, which were circulated on Facebook and WhatsApp.

In another video which surfaced recently, Hizbul Mujahideen's new leader Zakir Rashid Bhat, also known as "Musa", is seen asking young men and women to join the terror group and encouraging them to steal or snatch rifles from security forces.

In the past few months, there have been a number of incidents in which weapons were snatched or stolen from police and security personnel in the state.

At least 67 rifles have been snatched so far. These include INSAS and Carbine rifles, which are exclusively used by the police and security forces.

Meanwhile, a Srinagar journalist who runs a news portal, was called for questioning in connection with a video statement by Hizbul Mujahideen which he had published on his website a month ago.

Vijdan Kawoosa, who also writes for some international websites, was quoted by IANS as saying that he got the Hizbul video through an anonymous email.

Kawoosa, however, claimed that he had posted the clip with the disclaimer that its authenticity was subject to verification.

He was summoned to the police cyber cell on Wednesday evening and accused of sympathizing with the militant group and being "on their payrolls" or having links with militants.

He said all this happened "only because my website was the first to share their statement", which was also carried by various media houses in Jammu and Kashmir and beyond.

Kawoosa alleged that three police officers "shouted at me, saying the news post on my site JandKnow.com instigate youth to take to violence and I was an equal party to the crime.

He said police took a "note of most of my e-mail addresses, phone numbers and family members and also took the password of my Facebook profile to which my website's page is linked".

He said his driving license was also seized.

The Jammu and Kashmir government has come under flak for allegedly curbing media freedom in the wake of an ongoing agitation that has crippled normal life in the Kashmir Valley for more than three months now.

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