The State Investigation Agency of Jammu and Kashmir Police has successfully secured an Interpol Red Corner Notice against Hizbul Mujahideen militant Imtiyaz Ahmad Kandoo in connection with the Tarzoo attack of 2013.

This notice will enable international law enforcement agencies to locate, detain, and initiate extradition proceedings against him so that he can face trial in India.

The case relates to the ambush on 26 April 2013 at Peer Mohalla, Hygam, Sopore, where militants armed with automatic weapons attacked a police party. Four J&K police personnel were killed in one of the most serious strikes against security forces during that period. Initially registered at Tarzoo police station, the case was transferred to the SIA in 2024 for a comprehensive investigation.

The SIA carried out an extensive probe involving evidence collection, witness examination, and reconstruction of the conspiracy. Fresh evidence led to the addition of more offences, and a detailed chargesheet was filed in July 2024 against six accused persons.

Two of them, Tariq Ahmad Mir of Handwara and Qayoom Najar of Sopore, were killed in encounters with security forces. Three others—Javid Ahmad Mattoo, Rouf Najar, and Ahmadullah Malla—were arrested and are currently facing trial. The sixth and main accused, Imtiyaz Ahmad Kandoo, absconded and is believed to have exfiltrated to Pakistan.

Kandoo has been an active member and commander of Hizbul Mujahideen since 2010. His sustained involvement in terrorist activities led to his designation as an individual terrorist by the Government of India in October 2022. The SIA investigation conclusively established his central role in the Hygam attack and revealed his wider involvement in militant operations.

Beyond this case, Kandoo is wanted in at least ten more terror-related cases. These include attacks and targeted killings that caused the deaths of more than fifteen persons, arms and ammunition smuggling, and narco-terror financing. Despite persistent efforts by law enforcement agencies, he managed to evade arrest for years.

The issuance of the Interpol Red Corner Notice against Kandoo highlights the SIA’s growing capability in handling complex terror investigations. It demonstrates their ability to bring long-pending cases to conclusion, pursue fugitives across international jurisdictions, and leverage global policing mechanisms to ensure accountability for acts of terrorism.

The SIA has reaffirmed its commitment to dismantling terrorist ecosystems, pursuing absconding terrorists and their support networks, and ensuring that perpetrators of terrorism are brought to justice through all available legal and international mechanisms.

Agencies