by Peerzada Arshad Hamid
NEW DELHI, July 28 (Xinhua) -- A day after Al-Qaeda announced it has a group in Indian-controlled Kashmir to fight New Delhi's rule, the region's police chief Friday said it would investigative the presence of the global terror network.
"A militant is a militant, whichever tanzeem (outfit) he belongs. Somebody who has picked up a gun is a militant for us," said Director General of Police (DGP) Shesh Paul Vaid during a press conference in Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.
However, he said police would closely monitor the fallout of Thursday's announcement on militancy in the region.
"It's hard to predict any impact immediately, though there is a concern that it might sway youth toward the radical ideology," Vaid said. "We will investigate the arrival of Al-Qaeda in (Indian-controlled) Kashmir."
Al-Qaeda on Thursday officially announced it has a wing in Indian-controlled Kashmir and region's defiant Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) commander Zakir Musa was its chief. The claim was made by the Global Islamic Media Front, online propaganda wing of Al-Qaeda.
In April Musa parted ways with the HM, as his views were seen contrary to HM's core ideology which seeks resolution of Kashmir issue politically.
The new Al-Qaeda cell has been named Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind.
On almost every Friday, protesters opposing New Delhi's rule in Srinagar clash with police, displaying flags of Al-Qaeda and Islamic State (IS) after afternoon congregational prayers.
Police officials until now have been refuting presence of global terror networks in the restive region.
Even separatist leaders, who challenge New Delhi's rule in the region have repeatedly rejected the presence of outside groups, including Al-Qaeda, and have accused Indian agencies of maligning the region's indigenous struggle by trying to portray it as terrorism.
Musa was a close aide of Burhan Muzaffar Wani, a popular militant leader whose killing last year triggered a series of protests for months and saw at least 100 young men, mostly teenagers, dead and hundreds others wounded in police shootings on protesters.
Wani's killing also witnessed an increase in the youth joining militant ranks and civilians gathering around gunfight sites in support of militants and help them escape the military cordon.
Anti-India sentiment runs deep in the psyche of majority of Kashmiris. Irate residents often took to the streets and clash with police. The youth throw stones and brickbats on contingents of police and paramilitary, who respond by firing tear smoke shells, pellets and bullets, which often proves fatal.
A guerilla war is going on between militants and Indian troops stationed in Indian-controlled Kashmir since 1989. Gunfights between the two sides take place intermittently across the region.
