Two days after his escape, amid shootout in SMHS hospital here in Srinagar, LeT Commander Naveed Jaat alias Abu Hanzullah released a picture along with two Hizbul Mujahideen militants Sadam Paddar and Aadil Malik on social media.
Paddar, a Hizb commander, hailing from Shopian, is one of the two surviving militants who often posted with Burhan Wani, the Hizb commander who was killed in 2016, triggering of unrest in Kashmir Valley that lasted several months leading to the killing of nearly 80 civilians and injuring thousands of others in government forces action.
In the latest picture, Naveed is seen holding an AK-47 rifle along with two top commanders.
Naveed Jaat escaped police custody after a shootout in SMHS hospital on Tuesday that left two policemen dead.
The picture has been released as police claimed to have arrested at least 10 persons who facilitated Naveed’s escape from custody after four years.
SSP Shopian Sri Ram Ambarkar when contacted told GNS that the pictures apparently look fresh and we are verifying them.
In an emailed statement yesterday, Lashkar spokesperson Dr. Abdullah Ghazanwi hailed close coordination among various militant outfits in getting Naveed escape from SMHS hospital.
LeT had called the episode as the “apex of Mujahideen’s strategy, planning, and commitment to their cause”.