Sabzar, successor to Wani's legacy in Kashmir

Sabzar Ahmad Bhat, who was killed in an encounter with the security forces in the Tral area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, was a close associate of the slain Hizb-ul-Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, and was named the commander of the outfit after Wani’s death on July 8.

A native of Rathsuna in south Kashmir, Sabzar was said to be a close friend of Wani, the poster boy of modern-day militancy in Kashmir.

Sabzar, who had snatched a rifle from a policeman before joining the militant ranks, was trained in the forests of Tral. The police maintain that there are many militants who remain active in Tral, as the adjoining forests provide both a cover and training ground for them.

Sabzar had joined the militant outfit in April 2015 after Wani’s brother, Khalid, was killed by security forces in the Kamla forest area of Tral. In December 2015, the police announced cash rewards on a group of militants and Sabzar was among them.

While Zakir Musa was portrayed as the new face of militancy in the Valley after Wani’s death, it was Sabzar who had won the confidence of the outfit’s leadership in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and became Wani’s successor.
 Musa recently revolted against Hizbul after the outfit’s top leadership distanced itself from his statement where he threatened to behead Hurriyat leaders for terming the Kashmir struggle a political movement, instead of a religious one.

In March, Sabzar fled from an encounter site in Tral under the cover of darkness and heavy stone-pelting in the area. It is said that a failed love affair brought Sabzar to militancy, and that he was searching for a new meaning in his life after the girl’s family spurned his marriage proposal.

Police sources said Sabzar was involved in recruitment of youngsters into Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, and unlike Wani, who often featured on social networking sites, he mostly worked underground. Sabzar had only featured in photos and videos along with Wani before his encounter.

Besides attacks on panchayat members and the security forces, Sabzar is known to have carried out the killings of civilians who were believed to be informers.