Police on Thursday in Raesi arrested a former Hizbul Mujahideen militant after an 18-year search. Anwari Ali Chouhan, also known as Jamsheer, was caught in the Reasi district, where he had been hiding since he surrendered in 2007.
Anwari Ali Chouhan, who is from Gujjar-Kothian Talwara, joined the militant group in 2001 and was active for seven years. After surrendering, he went underground and kept moving to avoid being caught in several cases related to militancy.
Over the years, police made many attempts to find and arrest him, conducting raids at different locations in Gujjar Kothian, Chinore (Jammu), and Kherpora (Anantnag). Finally, after a lot of effort and using technical surveillance, they arrested him in a forest area near his home.
Chouhan is wanted for two serious incidents, including a shooting in the Jadd forest on January 5, 2006, and a grenade attack in Baradari, Reasi, on April 7, 2006. The grenade attack killed the father of a police officer and injured four others. Chouhan’s brother, Mumtaz Ali, was also involved in the attack and was arrested in 2007.
This arrest is an important step for police in their fight against militancy in the region. More investigations are expected to find out more about Chouhan’s activities and connections.
