Militant who attacked J&K BJP leader close aid of Riyaz Naikoo, deputed by Hizbul Mujahideen: DGP

Hizbul Mujahideen had deputed a close aide of slain militant commander Riyaz Naikoo from south Kashmir to carry out the attack on a BJP leader in Ganderbal district in which a police constable was killed, the top police official of Jammu and Kashmir said on Wednesday.

"The militant killed in Ganderbal -- Shabir Ahmad of Awanitpora -- was deputed specifically to carry out the attack," DGP Dilbag Singh told reporters at the wreath-laying ceremony for constable Altaf Hussain.

Hussain was injured while protecting BJP leader Ghulam Qadir during an attack on Tuesday night. The police constable managed to kill one of the assailants before he succumbed to his injuries.

The DGP said there was another blood trail at the scene of the attack which was being followed by the investigators.

He said the slain militant was a close aide and overground worker of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Riyaz Naikoo who was killed in an encounter earlier this year. Shabir had joined militancy recently, the DGP said.

He said target killings were being carried out in the Union territory on instructions from Pakistan "through its terror mouthpiece TRF (The Resistance Front)".

Singh also said it was "not a big deal" for militants to move from one district to another.