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Ashraf Molvi & nbsp
New Delhi: According to sources, Mohammad Ashraf Khan, aka Ashraf Molvi, 55, has become Hizbul Mujahideen’s new chief operating officer.
Sources suggest that Molvi was chosen as the operational commander of the valley after a meeting in Muzzafarabad (PoK). Ashraf Molvi has also been said to be a resident of Anantnag and has been active in the organization since 2013.
It has also been suggested according to sources that Molvi’s nomination could lead to possible internal strife within the SM team as he was never close to Riyaz Naikoo and his associates like Junaid Sehrai and Saifullah.
The head of the organization, Sayeed Salahudeen, during the meeting that was held in Muzaffarabad, said that 80 militants have been killed since January 1, 2020.
Furthermore, he was told that the organization had attacked forces in Handwara, but the enemy (India) seems powerful. In addition to that, Salahudeen also said that the organization’s bad policies are affecting them on the battlefield.
The death of Riyaz Naikoo
Molvi’s appointment as chief operating officer comes days after the death of Riyaz Naikoo, who was killed by security forces in a highly sensitive anti-terrorist operation that lasted more than 12 hours.
Naikoo was rated as the most wanted militant and had been on the run for the past eight years. Reports suggest that he was cornered by counterinsurgency teams on multiple occasions, but that he successfully escaped.
Naikoo was also said to have a reward of Rs 12 lakh on his head and to have become the de facto head of the terrorist group in Valley after his predecessor Burhan Wani was eliminated in 2016.
Over the years, Naikoo had become the face of Hizbul after replacing Sabzar Ahmad Bhat, who was shot dead by Indian forces in Tral in 2017. Bhat, in turn, replaced the murdered Wani as chief operating officer in Kashmir. .
