After the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) lost one of its foremost commanders Abu Ismail in an encounter on Thursday, the terror outfit is reportedly now scouting for a "Kashmiri face" to replace him.
Zeenat-ul-Islam will most likely be this "face", reported Hindustan Times. The 28-year-old militant is an “expert” in improvised explosive devices and joined the Al-Badar outfit in 2015.
Islam is one of the main accused in February’s Shopian attack that killed three soldier and a woman.
According to a report in India Today, Islam was captured in 2008 and booked under the Public Safety Act, and was subsequently released in 2011.
Islam is reportedly among the five most wanted terrorists in the state. The list also includes Zakir Musa, Riyaz Naikoo, Saddam Padder and a 'Khalid', intelligence officials told Hindustan Times.
Abu Ismail was elevated to the post of LeT commander after Abu Dujana was eliminated by security forces earlier in August. Ismail, the mastermind behind the Amarnath attack in July that killed eight people, was gunned down by security forces in Nowgam on Thursday. One more terrorist was killed in the attack.
#TalkingStalking: Have you ever been stalked? Share your experience with The Quint and inspire others to shatter the silence surrounding stalking. Send your stories to editor@thequint.com or WhatsApp @ +919999008335.)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)