Highlighting the security forces' framework of neutralising terror activities in Kashmir Valley, former Chinar Corps commander Lt Gen Anil Bhatt (Retd) said the troops eliminated three nephews of Pakistan-based terrorist outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed's chief Masood Azhar within a few days of entering India.
Lt Gen Bhatt served as Chinar Corps commander in 2018 when the Indian Army carried out extensive operations against terrorist leadership in Kashmir Valley and eliminated major groups operating in the region and 274 terrorists were killed in one year.
He served in Jammu and Kashmir thrice.
In the podcast with Smita Prakash, editor-in-chief of ANI, Lt Gen Bhatt said, "We have reduced the average age of a terrorist. Hizb-ul-Mujahideen leaders previously would not survive for 5-10 years. By the time my tenure was getting ended, their survival was nine months. The survival rate of local youth who took up arms was six months. The outcome has been that lesser people join them."
He said the situation was made difficult for the terrorist organisations as a result Jaish chief Maulana Masood Azhar sent his nephews to carry out terror activities.
"The situation was like that the Jaish leader Masood Azhar sent his nephews to the Tral area. The first nephew who was supposedly a great leader who was a sniper and had claimed that he would create the situation in Tral the way it was 15 years back. He was eliminated within 15 days. The second nephew was sent, and we eliminated him in 10 days. And, the third nephew was eliminated in three days. That was the kind of intelligence network we had," Bhatt said.
Asked about if the bodies of the foreign terrorists were sent back to their country, Bhatt said, "It is a rule we follow in Kashmir, the bodies of foreign terrorists are buried at a place which we have identified."
Earlier this week, India's relentless efforts to list Pakistan-based terrorists paid off as the United Nations Security Council listed Pakistan-based terrorist Abdul Rehman Makki as a global terrorist under its Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant-Da'esh and Al-Qaida sanctions committee.
This listing comes after China last year put on hold India's bid to name the Lashkar-e-Tayiba leader a global terrorist.
China finally lifted its 'technical hold' on the designation of Makki as a global terrorist under the 1267 UN Sanctions Committee after the country was left isolated in the Security Council.
Makki is the brother-in-law of LeT chief and 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed.
He has occupied various leadership roles within LeT, a US-designated foreign terrorist organisation.
He has also played a role in raising funds for LeT operations.
Abdul Rehman Makki is under the sanctions committee, also known as the UNSC 1267 Committee.
India and the US have already listed Makki as a terrorist under their domestic laws.
He has been involved in raising funds, recruiting and radicalizing youth to violence and planning attacks in India, especially in Jammu and Kashmir.
In 2020, a Pakistani anti-terrorism court convicted Makki on one count of terrorism financing and sentenced him to prison, according to the US state department.
In the past, China has placed hurdles for the listing of known terrorists, particularly from Pakistan.
It had repeatedly blocked proposals to designate Maulana Masood Azhar, chief of the Pakistan-based and UN-proscribed terrorist entity, Jaish-e-Mohammed.
