The Jammu & Kashmir Police has named four Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists — Osama Bin Javed, Haroon Abbas Wani, Naveed Mushtaq Shah and Zahid Hussain — for the killing of RSS leader Chandrakant Sharma. It said the four are hiding in Banjwar and Paribagh areas of Kishtwar district of Jammu & Kashmir and are on the lookout for killing more political and religious leaders with a determined intent to fuel communal violence in the area.

Inputs further suggest that two unidentified terrorists, equipped with AK-47 rifles, are on the prowl in the district.

Naveed Mushtaq Shah, one of the four terrorists, is a former constable of the Jammu & Kashmir Police. The four terrorists are believed to be armed with arms and ammunition.

“These terrorists are hiding in the above mentioned areas after killing of Chandrakant Sharma and his PSO (Personal Security Officer). This group may attack religious/political leaders in coming days or may attack police party and snatch their weapons,” says the J&K Police alert issued on April 24.

The police alert has also named two probable targets, whose names are being withheld by The Pioneer for security reasons. The two suspected targets are identified as a functionary of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and a BJP leader of Kishtwar district.

Inputs also revealed that two unidentified terrorists armed with sophisticated assault rifles like AK-47 were seen roaming in Deherina forest area of Sector Marwah, according to the alert issued by Crime Investigation Department of the J&K Police that also sought further action and feedback on the alert from various formations of the police department.

The shift in the terror tactic to fuel communal violence is propelled by the continuous liquidation of terrorists by the security forces in the Valley where they have been decimated amid continuous generation of intelligence inputs and coordinated action by the armed forces and the local police.