Interpol Red Corner Notice Issued Against Hizbul Commander for 2013 Attack That Killed Four Police Officers

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Saturday announced that an Interpol Red Corner Notice (RCN) has been issued against Imtiyaz Ahmad Kandoo alias Fayaz, a designated commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen militant group. The notice relates to a 2013 attack in Sopore, north Kashmir, that resulted in the deaths of four police officers.

The State Investigation Agency (SIA) of the J&K Police confirmed that the RCN will enable international law enforcement agencies to locate, detain, and initiate extradition proceedings against Kandoo. He is wanted to face trial in connection with the 2013 ambush, which was one of the deadliest attacks on security forces in the region at the time.

The attack occurred in April 2013 in the Hygam area of Sopore. The case was transferred to the SIA in 2024 for a comprehensive investigation. The SIA described the Red Corner Notice as a significant achievement, stating that it demonstrates the agency's growing capability in pursuing fugitives across international borders and leveraging global policing mechanisms to ensure accountability for acts of terrorism.

Kandoo, a native of Sopore, has been a Hizbul commander since 2010. The central government officially designated him as a terrorist in 2022. The SIA completed its investigation into the Hygam attack and filed a chargesheet in a trial court in 2024, naming Kandoo and five others as accused.

Of the six accused, three have been arrested, and two were killed in encounters during the investigation. One of the deceased, Qayoom Najar, was a commander killed in 2017 near the Line of Control in Uri while attempting to infiltrate the Kashmir Valley to take charge of Hizbul's local module. The sixth and main accused, Kandoo, remains absconding and is believed to have exfiltrated to Pakistan. He is wanted in at least 10 other terrorism-related cases, according to the SIA.