The State Investigation Agency (SIA) Kashmir has secured an Interpol Red Corner Notice against Hizbul Mujahideen commander Imtiyaz Ahmad Kandoo, reviving a 13-year-old cold case tied to the 2013 Peer Mohalla ambush in Sopore that killed four police personnel.
Kandoo, also known by the aliases Fayaz and Sajad, is believed to have fled across the Line of Control into Pakistan shortly after the attack. The Interpol notice now triggers a global manhunt across 196 member nations, restricting his ability to travel, access financial systems, or coordinate operations.
Reviving the 2013 Hygam Conspiracy Case
The case stems from an April 26, 2013, ambush in Peer Mohalla, Hygam, where a police detachment was targeted with automatic weapons. Initially filed at Police Station Tarzoo, the case was transferred to the SIA Kashmir in 2024.
Investigators conducted a fresh review, gathering new evidence and forensic reconstructions. This led to a chargesheet against six accused in July 2024. Two co-conspirators, Tariq Ahmad Mir and Qayoom Najar, were killed in separate encounters, while three others—Javid Ahmad Mattoo, Rouf Najar, and Ahmadullah Malla—were arrested and are currently on trial.
Targeting a Cross-Border Terror Network
Kandoo, a native of Kraltang in Sopore, has been active in Hizbul Mujahideen since 2010, involved in urban warfare, weapons smuggling, and narco-terror financing. The Government of India designated him an Individual Terrorist under the UAPA in October 2022.
He is wanted in at least ten terror-related cases, including civilian assassinations. The Interpol notice marks a strategic shift in India’s pursuit of cross-border fugitives, leveraging international legal channels to hold perpetrators accountable regardless of time elapsed.
