J&K Police Announce Rs 15 Lakh Reward for Lashkar Commander Latif Bhat
The Jammu and Kashmir Police have announced a cash reward of Rs 15 lakh for information leading to the arrest of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Latif Bhat, who is suspected of being involved in the recent targeted killings in the Union Territory.
Wanted posters bearing Bhat's photograph have been put up across several districts of South Kashmir and parts of Jammu province. In an appeal to the public, the police have asked anyone with information about the Lashkar commander's whereabouts to come forward, assuring that the identity of informers would be kept strictly confidential.
Bhat first came to the attention of security forces during the Shopian encounter, in which he and top Lashkar commander Zakir Ganai were trapped. During the five-day-long operation, security forces killed Ganai, but Bhat managed to evade them and escape.
Since then, agencies suspect that Bhat has been reactivating sleeper cells to carry out targeted attacks on non-locals and security personnel, allegedly at the direction of handlers operating from across the border.
Bhat is the prime accused in the killing of a policeman in a targeted attack last month in Anantnag, following which a major police crackdown was launched across Kashmir. His role is also suspected in the killing of two migrant workers in Kulgam last week.
The two workers, both from Chhattisgarh, came under fire from armed men. One of them, identified as Deepak, died on the spot. The other, Bhupender, was taken to a hospital but succumbed to his injuries during treatment.
A preliminary investigation has indicated that a small-calibre weapon, likely a pistol, was used in both attacks rather than an AK-47 rifle. Officials said this points to the hallmark of 'hybrid terrorists' — locally recruited over-ground workers who carry out strikes and then hide among the civilian population. They added that the modus operandi of both attacks matches The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of LeT.
The police have urged the public to share any information about Bhat's movements, emphasising that those providing credible leads would be rewarded and their identities protected. The development comes amid heightened security operations in the valley following a series of targeted killings that have raised concerns about the safety of migrant workers and security personnel.
