On May 23, Srinagar Police arrested two local hybrid terrorists affiliated with the terror outfit The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba.

In a tweet, Kashmir Zone Police said they had recovered arms, ammunition, and incriminating material from the terrorists. Inspector-General of Police Vijay Kumar called it a big success for Jammu & Kashmir Police. Further investigation into the matter is underway.

What are hybrid terrorists, and why they are dangerous?

In the last couple of years, the number of hybrid terrorists or part-time terrorists is increasing in the valley. ‘Hybrid’ terrorists can be defined as unlisted radicalized persons who carry out terror strikes and slip back into their routine life often without leaving any trace. As per security agencies, these terrorists are not ultras. However, they are radicalized by the anti-national forces enough that they are willing to carry out a terror strike.

Security agencies define these terrorists as ‘boys next door’ who are kept on standby mode by the terrorist organizations. In between two tasks, these hybrid terrorists live their normal life. As they live among the general population, it is hard for security agencies to track and trace them.

To make the risk posed by them clearer, in 2021, dozens of attacks were initiated against soft targets like civilians, policemen on leave, political workers, and more. As per security agencies, most of these attacks were carried out by hybrid terrorists. In a statement in January 2021, IG Kumar said that the use of technical gadgets and monitoring social media activities help in tracing these hybrid terrorists.

Hybrid Terrorists Of LeT Arrested In J&K

3 "Hybrid" Terrorists Of LeT Arrested In J&K Sarpanch Killing Case

Srinagar: Three 'hybrid' terrorists of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) outfit have been arrested in connection with the killing of a sarpanch in the Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir in April, police said on Monday.

"On April 15, terrorists had fired upon Manzoor Ahmad Bangroo, sarpanch of Goshbugh B at Chanderhama orchards in Wussan area of Palhallan in Pattan, and his body was recovered," Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Baramulla, Rayees Mohammad Bhat, told reporters in Pattan.

After the attack, searches were launched in the area by security forces, and a case was also registered, he said.

"On the basis of various techint and humint leads, the investigation was vigorously pursued... After a lot of hard work, we have been able to crack this conspiracy which went into the killing of the PRIs and soft targets," the SSP said.

He said three hybrid terrorists have been arrested who had been planning the conspiracy for about six to seven months.

"The current case has links to a grenade attack on Palhallan highway last year. The main conspirator, in that case, was Mohammad Afzal of Barthipora, Naidkhai in the Hanjin area of Bandipora. In this case, as well, the links to Afzal have come forward. "Various other attacks and modules have been tracked to this individual. This individual is the sort of fountain-head character who was directing multiple sleeper cells and hybrid terrorist modules, providing them arms and ammunition as well as executing these attacks," he said.

The arrested terrorists had also obtained arms and ammunition from Afzal before he was arrested, SSP Bhat said.

He identified them as Noor Mohammad Yatoo, Mohammad Rafiq Parray, and Mohammad Akbar Parray, all residents of Goshbugh, Pattan. "The three terrorists divulged the plot which was directed by LeT terrorists Yusuf Kantru and Hilal Sheikh (both killed at Malwah last month) and executed by recently-infiltrated terrorists Gulzar Ganaie (killed in an encounter at Bandipora) and Umar Lone of Wussan (still active and at large)," the SSP said.

The investigation further led to recoveries of arms and ammunition and to a larger web of links between various outfits and organizations on which investigation is going on, he said.

The arms and ammunition recovered included three Chinese pistols, three pistol magazines, two grenades, and 32 pistol rounds.

"The successful apprehension of the three terrorists and the recovery of the arms and ammunition has solved another sensational case in Baramulla and foiled major terror plots planned in future in the general area. Interrogation of the apprehended individuals is likely to give further inputs for future counter-terrorism operations," he said.

'Hybrid' militants are those who are not listed as ultras but persons radicalised enough to carry out a terror strike and then slip back into routine life. 

Recent hybrid terrorist attacks in India

On May 1, it was reported that two hybrid terrorists were arrested by the security agencies in Kulgam and Srinagar districts. Police recovered incriminating material, arms, and ammunition, including a pistol, two grenades, and 51 pistol rounds from their possession.

On May 8, two-hybrid terrorists of Hizbul Mujahideen were arrested by Police in the Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir. The police had acted upon a specific input against these terrorists. Two youths were seen trying to hide their identity at a Naka point set by the police. When challenged, they tried to flee by breaking the checkpoint. However, they were apprehended by the Police. A large cache of ammunition was recovered from their possession.

(Published from a syndicated feed)