In a major breakthrough in the investigation of the 2013 Tarzoo (Hygam) terror attack, the State Investigation Agency (SIA), Kashmir, has secured an Interpol Red Corner Notice (RCN) against designated Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Imtiyaz Ahmad Kandoo, who is accused of orchestrating the attack that killed four Jammu and Kashmir Police personnel.
The Red Corner Notice, issued through Interpol, will enable law enforcement agencies across member countries to locate, detain and facilitate the extradition of Kandoo, who is believed to have fled to Pakistan, to face trial in India.
The case relates to a terrorist ambush on April 26, 2013, at Peer Mohalla in Hygam, Sopore, where terrorists armed with automatic weapons attacked a police party, killing four Jammu and Kashmir Police personnel. The case was initially registered at Tarzoo Police Station and was transferred to the SIA in 2024 for a comprehensive investigation.
According to the agency, the investigation involved the collection and analysis of evidence, examination of witnesses and reconstruction of the conspiracy behind the attack. Based on fresh evidence, the SIA filed a comprehensive chargesheet in July 2024 against six accused persons.
During the investigation, two accused — Tariq Ahmad Mir of Handwara and Qayoom Najar of Sopore — were killed in separate encounters with security forces. Three others, Javid Ahmad Mattoo, Rouf Najar and Ahmadullah Malla, have been arrested and are currently facing trial.
The SIA identified Imtiyaz Ahmad Kandoo, also known as Fayaz and Sajad, as the main accused in the case. A resident of Kraltang in Sopore, Kandoo has been associated with the banned Hizbul Mujahideen since 2010 and was designated an individual terrorist by the Government of India in October 2022.
Investigators said Kandoo's role extended beyond the 2013 attack. He is wanted in at least 10 terror-related cases involving targeted killings, attacks on security forces, arms smuggling and alleged narco-terror financing, which together claimed more than 15 lives.
The SIA described the issuance of the Interpol Red Corner Notice as a significant milestone, saying it reflects the agency's efforts to pursue absconding terrorists across international jurisdictions and bring them to justice through global policing mechanisms.
Source: India Today