ISIS does not exist in Kashmir Valley: MHA

Minister of State, Home, Hansraj Gangaram Ahir, meanwhile, said, “This can be a trick of Pakistan. They should think how much this will damage their own country. We will continue to retaliate and it will be harmful for Pakistan.”

In an encounter in November 2017, a terrorist, identified as Mugees, and a sub-inspector, Imran Tak, were killed. Amaq, official news agency of Islamic State, had claimed responsibility for the attack and pictures of Mugees with the Islamic State flag in the background had surfaced on social media. Security officials had then said Mugees belonged to extremist group Tehrik-ul- Mujahideen and was its Pulwama district commander. Tehrik-ul-Mujahideen was among the first few militant groups that emerged in Jammu and Kashmir in the 1990s.

However, police have found no logistic connection between Mugees and Tehrik-ul-Mujahideen, a home ministry official said.

Could be lone wolf attack: J&K DGP

A day after the Islamic State’s channel Amaq claimed responsibility for the killing of a policeman in Srinagar, J&K police said it could be a lone wolf attack. “(It) could be a lone wolf attack,” DGP S P Vaid told The Indian Express. “(It could be) someone is impressed by the ideology of Islamic state the way Zakir Musa is influenced by Al Qaeda”. He added, “This was the claim on website. They also claimed it in November. But on ground, we don’t see any change”.