Source TOI
SRINAGAR — In a major breakthrough for its ongoing counter-terrorism operations, the State Investigation Agency (SIA) of Jammu and Kashmir has successfully secured an Interpol Red Corner Notice (RCN) against absconding Hizbul Mujahideen commander Imtiyaz Ahmad Kandoo.
The international arrest warrant targets Kandoo, who goes by the aliases “Fayaz” and “Sajad,” for his central role in the deadly 2013 Tarzoo (Hygam) terror attack that claimed the lives of four police personnel. Officials confirmed the development on Saturday, marking a milestone in a case revived and expanded by specialized investigators.
The 2013 Hygam Ambush
The case traces back to April 26, 2013, at Peer Mohalla in the Hygam area of Sopore, North Kashmir. A police party was ambushed by heavily armed terrorists utilizing automatic weapons. The high-intensity strike resulted in the martyrdom of four Jammu and Kashmir Police officers, making it one of the most severe attacks on local security forces during that period.
Originally registered at the Tarzoo Police Station, the investigation was officially handed over to the SIA Kashmir in 2024 to track down the broader conspiracy and its lingering fugitives.
Track Record of the Accused
SIA investigators completed a comprehensive probe, filing a detailed chargesheet against six primary individuals. The status of the accused highlights the scale of the multi-year operation:
Deceased: Tariq Ahmad Mir and Qayoom Najar were killed in separate encounters with security forces during the intervening years.
In Custody: Javid Ahmad Mattoo, Rouf Najar, and Ahmadullah Malla have been arrested and are currently facing trial in India.
Fugitive: Imtiyaz Ahmad Kandoo, a resident of Kraltang, Sopore, remains at large and is strongly believed to have exfiltrated to Pakistan.
Kandoo has been an active commander within the proscribed Hizbul Mujahideen network since 2010. Due to his relentless involvement in cross-border militancy, the Government of India officially designated him as an “Individual Terrorist” under anti-terror laws in October 2022.
A Wider Web of Terror
Beyond the 2013 ambush, intelligence files link Kandoo to an extensive network of violence. He remains a wanted suspect in at least 10 other active terror-related cases. These include targeted civilian and security killings that caused more than 15 fatalities, cross-border arms smuggling, and sophisticated narco-terror financing operations intended to fund local modules.
SIA Kashmir emphasized that the issuance of the Interpol Red Corner Notice closes international loopholes for the fugitive. The global alert mandates law enforcement agencies across member countries to locate, detain, and immediately initiate extradition proceedings to bring Kandoo back to India to face trial.
