Two years in prison, top Hizbul man walks free, red faces in Jammu and Kashmir

In a setback for security forces in the Valley, Nisar Ahmad Bhat alias Gazi Misbah-ud-din, Hizbul Mujahideen chief commander of operations, has been released on bail by a court in Anantnag after being in jail for more than two years. He was allowed to walk out of the court itself where he was handed over to his lawyer.

"He was bailed out by the honourable court which directed the police party accompanying him to remove his handcuffs and hand him over to his lawyer in court," a J&K Police spokesman said. Sources said the police are conducting an inquiry why Bhat was allowed to leave immediately after he was bailed out.

Before he became the outfit's chief operations commander, Bhat, while in Pakistan, had been the driver of Hizbul Mujahideen supreme commander Syed Salahuddin.

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For first time, United States made gun seized in the Valley

For the first time in the Valley, a US-made gun has been recovered from militants killed in an encounter three days ago. While militants have been known to use Chinese, Russian and Japanese weapons in the state, security forces had never recovered one of US origin.

The gun its butt burnt has markings of Colt's Firearms, Colt Industries, Hartford, USA, etched on its body, right above the trigger.The black plastic magazine, recovered intact, has markings of THERMOLD D.& D INC WILSON, N.C., USA.

The police said the gun has 22 rounds of slim but long bullets in its magazine, and is probably an SMG (submachine gun). Deputy Inspector General, Baramulla range, B Srinivasan said that they suspected that the gun was a used Pakistani army weapon.

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