J&K Police Arrest Youth in Non-Locals' Killing, Unveiling Threat of 'Hybrid Militants

The arrest of a young person by Jammu and Kashmir police who had no prior history of militancy for his suspected role in the murder of two foreigners last week has brought attention to the disturbing phenomenon known as "hybrid militants," which has become a top worry for the security establishment.

The apprehended kid, named as Aadil Manzoor Langoo, a native of Srinagar, was allegedly implicated in the February 7 deaths of Amritpal Singh and Rohit Masi, two Punjabi migrant laborers. This year's first militant assault on non-locals occurred. It has been revealed that handlers in Pakistan had radicalized Aadil over the internet. The handgun that the police believe he used to carry out the crime has been found.


"Hybrid militants" are those who pose as members of the public to carry out violent crimes. After Jammu and Kashmir's special status was eliminated in 2019, the phrase became commonplace in the security community. Police have taken some "hybrid militants" into custody or murdered them. Protests were sparked by the executions in many instances because unwary families claimed that the military was pursuing their "innocent children." Even while the troops have steadfastly justified their conduct, many people believe that the "hybrid militants" are a pretext to attack Kashmiri citizens.

If verified, Aadil's participation explains why, despite a drop in the number of recognized militants in recent months, homicides tied to militancy have not decreased.

"Aadil Manzoor has no familial history of violence, if you go into his past. Social media was what inspired and radicalized him, according to Vijay Kumar, an assistant director-general of police, who spoke with reporters in Srinagar.

Aadil, according to Kumar, used to often worship at the mosque and had ties to the Ahli Hadees, or Salafis, branch of Islam.

Kumar made a particular request of parents and educators to monitor their kids and call the police if they see any changes in their behavior.

"They need to look after them. Hybrid militants' families are unaware of their activity. A third party is in the dark. It only comes to light after he causes the situation. But it is hard for him to get away in the digital environment of today," he remarked.

According to Kumar, they often succeeded in breaking most of these modules, but sometimes one or two escaped.

A conspiracy employing "hybrid militants" to assault off-duty police officers in Srinagar was discovered by the police in December, they added. This was in response to a string of targeted attacks on police officers who were spending time with friends and family. Following the arrest of three "hybrid militants" in connection with an assault on off-duty police officer Mohammad Hafeez Chak in Srinagar's Bemina, the information was made public.

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