· RCN issued against absconding HM commander Kandoo
· Accused believed to be in Pakistan, SIA says notice will aid extradition
Srinagar: In a major counter-terrorism breakthrough, the State Investigation Agency (SIA) Kashmir has secured an Interpol Red Corner Notice (RCN) against designated Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) terrorist Imtiyaz Ahmad Kandoo alias Fayaz alias Sajad, the main accused in the 2013 Tarzoo (Hygam) terror attack in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district that left four Jammu and Kashmir Police personnel dead.
Officials said the Red Corner Notice, issued through Interpol, marks a significant milestone in the investigation and will facilitate international law enforcement agencies in locating, detaining and initiating legal proceedings for Kandoo’s extradition to India to face trial.
The move comes more than 13 years after the April 26, 2013 terror ambush at Peer Mohalla, Hygam, Sopore, where heavily armed Hizbul Mujahideen militants opened indiscriminate fire on a police party, killing four policemen in one of the deadliest attacks on security forces in the Valley during that period.
The case was initially registered at Police Station Tarzoo, Sopore, and was transferred to the SIA Kashmir in 2024 for a comprehensive reinvestigation.
According to the agency, investigators carried out an extensive probe involving the collection and forensic analysis of evidence, examination of witnesses and reconstruction of the conspiracy behind the attack. Based on fresh evidence, additional offences were invoked and a comprehensive chargesheet was filed before the competent trial court in July 2024 against six accused persons.
During the course of the investigation and subsequent security operations, two of the accusedTariq Ahmad Mir of Kalamabad, Handwara, and Qayoom Najar of Batapora, Sopore—were killed in encounters with security forces. Three others, Javid Ahmad Mattoo and Rouf Najar, both residents of Sopore, and Ahmadullah Malla of Dalal Mohalla, Srinagar, were arrested and are currently facing trial.
Kandoo, the sixth accused and the alleged mastermind behind the attack, remains absconding and is believed to have exfiltrated to Pakistan.
A resident of Kraltang, Sopore, Kandoo has been associated with the banned Hizbul Mujahideen since 2010 and rose through the ranks to become one of its commanders. Owing to his sustained involvement in terrorist activities, the Government of India designated him as an Individual Terrorist in October 2022.
Officials said the SIA investigation conclusively established Kandoo’s central role in planning and executing the Hygam attack and also exposed his links to a wider terror network operating across the region.
Apart from the Tarzoo case, Kandoo is wanted in at least ten other terror-related cases involving targeted killings, terrorist attacks, cross-border arms and ammunition smuggling, and narco-terror financing. Investigators said the cases are linked to the deaths of more than 15 people.
The agency described the issuance of the Interpol Red Corner Notice as a major operational and investigative achievement, saying it reflects SIA Kashmir’s growing capability to pursue terror fugitives beyond national borders by leveraging international policing mechanisms.
“The successful issuance of the Interpol Red Corner Notice underscores the agency’s commitment to ensuring that terrorists involved in heinous acts of violence are brought to justice irrespective of their location,” officials said.
They added that the SIA remains committed to dismantling terrorist ecosystems, tracking absconding militants and their support networks, and ensuring that those responsible for acts of terrorism are brought to justice through all available legal and international mechanisms.
