Najar, a spokesman said, was killed in a gunfight with government forces near Zorawar Post of Lachipora Uri.
Police on Tuesday said that slain militant commander Abdul Qayoom Najar was returning to Kashmir fom Pakistan to take command of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen following the “wiping up of Hizb” from north Kashmir.
Najar, a spokesman said, was killed in a gunfight with government forces near Zorawar Post of Lachipora Uri.
“In a very significant achievement for Police and security forces, Ab. Qayoom Najar @ Jansahib @ Ishfaq S/O Ab. Rashid Najar R/O Mumkak Sopore who has been active since year 1999 has got killed today in an encounter near Zorawar Post of Lachiproa Uri,” he said.
He said that Najar had crossed over to Pakistan in 2015 and was returning to take command of Hizbul Mujahideen.
“The killed commander was dispatched by United Jehad Council Commander Syed Salah-u-din to revive the Hizb ul Mujahideen whose commanders of North Kashmir Pervaiz Wani @ Mubashir of South Kashmir and Yasin Yatoo got killed recently,” said the spokesman.
“His return was also necessitated because of wiping out of HM from North Kashmir.”
He briefly fell out with Hizb and Hurriyat leadership in 2015 when he orchestrated multiple attacks on mobile towers and killed some civilians affiliated with the Hurriyat, he said.
“He was recalled to base camp in Muzaffarabad to sort out the differences.”