Zakir Musa, real name Zakir Rashid Bhat, was one of the leaders of the resistance groups against Indian occupation. He was born on July 25, 1994 in Nurpura, Kashmir.
Early period of his life
Zakir Musa, who came from a wealthy family, was a successful student and received a good education. His father was a senior engineer working in the region. Musa had a brother who was a doctor.
Zakir Musa attended primary and high school in the region, and during these years, as a child, he participated in protests against the Indian occupation in the region and was detained for throwing stones at Indian forces.
Zakir Musa during high school years
In 2011, after graduating from high school, Zakir Musa started a college in Chandigarh, India, to study engineering.
In 2013, Musa decided to drop out of school and join the armed resistance against the Indian occupation.
Joining the armed resistance
In 2013, Zakir Musa joined the ranks of Hizbul Mujahidin, one of the leading resistance groups in Kashmir.
Zakir Musa rose within the group in a short period of time and had close relations with Burhan Wani, one of the leading figures of the group. Musa started to work as an assistant to Wani, who was the field commander of Hizbul Mujahidin.
Musa took over as Hizbul Mujahidin's field commander after the death of Burhan Wani in 2016.
During this period, Musa was uncomfortable with Hizbul Mujahidin's links with Pakistan and began to believe that Pakistan was using groups in Kashmir for its own interests and did not care about the future of Kashmir. In 2017, Musa directly expressed his discomfort with statements by Pakistan-linked political leaders in Kashmir that "the Kashmir issue is not a religious issue". Zakir Musa subsequently fell out with Hizbul Mujahidin's political leadership in Pakistan. Musa was of the opinion that Kashmir was an Islamic issue and that Pakistan's influence in the region was negatively affecting Kashmir.
Ansar Ghazwat al Hind
It was in this context that Zakir Musa and his close friends decided to form Ansar Ghazwat al Hind, an independent jihadi group. The group declared its independence from Pakistani influence and aimed to establish an independent Islamic state in Kashmir. The group's founding statement read:
"Following the martyrdom of the heroic mujahid Burhan Wani, the jihad in Kashmir has entered a phase of awakening as the Muslim nation of Kashmir has resolutely decided to carry the banner of jihad and continue with jihad and with the help of Allah alone to repel the aggression of the tyrant Indian occupiers. Inshallah, we will liberate our homeland. It is for this purpose that this jihad movement was established by the friends of martyr Burhan Wani under the leadership of mujahid Zakir Musa (may Allah Almighty protect him)."
Ansar Ghazwat al Hind accused Pakistan of "taking the Kashmiri jihad as hostage" and "being America's puppet" and stated that "Pakistan is their enemy" as well as India. The group said that Pakistan was not fighting India for the suffering of the Kashmiri people, but for its own interests. Zakir Musa stated that they were "fighting for the Sharia rule in Kashmir" and argued that "India and Pakistan, with the help of the United States, want to end the jihad in the Indian subcontinent". Many people from the ranks of Hizbul Mujahidin and Lashkar-e-Tayyiba have started to join this group. The group was reportedly linked to al-Qaeda, but no official announcement has been made.
After that, for a long time, Hizbul Mujahidin targeted Zakir Musa and his group with various accusations.
His death
Zakir Musa, the founding leader of Ansar Ghazwat al Hind, was besieged by Indian forces in Dadasara village in Tral district on May 23-24, 2019.
After the siege, a fierce clash broke out between the Indian forces and Zakir Musa. After 11 hours of fighting, Zakir Musa lost his life.
The house where the clashes took place (Photo: Safwat Zargar)
People took to the streets in Kashmir after the killing of Zakir Musa. As protests spread, the Indian government cut the internet and imposed curfew in some areas. Thousands of people attended Musa's funeral.
Zakir Musa's funeral. (Photo: Safwat Zargar)
Musa is a very popular figure for the Kashmiri resistance and still remains a symbol for the people of the region.
Source: Mepa News