Security forces in Kashmir have launched a massive manhunt for Ghazi Baba, the leader of Jaish-e-Mohammad, the Pakistan-based militant group blamed for the December 13 attack on the Parliament. Police say Ghazi Baba was one of the main planners behind the December 13 attack that has triggered an alarming rise in Indo-Pakistan tensions.

"We are preparing a strategy to launch searches in Kashmir with an aim to arrest Ghazi Baba," a senior police officer said.
"The searches will be concentrated in southern Kashmir," the officer said, adding that police had received intelligence reports of Ghazi Baba's whereabouts. Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba are said to be the main culprits behind the December 13 attack on the Parliament, at the behest of Pakistani military intelligence.

Both groups and Islamabad have denied any involvement.

Counter-insurgency measures have been stepped up in Kashmir in the past week, and the police officer said nearly 20 Jaish and Lashkar militants had been shot dead in encounters with security forces.
At the same time, police have released three of more than a dozen Kashmiris detained over the past few days for questioning related to the Parliament attack. Bureau Report