Around two weeks after Zakir Musa was gunned down by security forces, al-Qaida affiliate Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGH) named Hameed Lelhari as its local commander.

Hameed Lelhari, 30, is a native of Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama. In a video released on Eid, the al-Qaeda affiliate said Hameed Lelhari has replaced Zakir Musa as its local commander and Ghazi Ibrahim Khalid appointed as his deputy, The Times of India reported.

Protests had rocked Srinagar on Eid as people were seen holding up posters of terrorists Zakir Musa and Masood Azhar while clashing with the forces.

Zakir Musa was al-Qaeda's head in Kashmir since July 27, 2017. He was earlier heading Hizbul Mujahideen, after the killing of Burhan Wani in 2016.

The self-styled commander of the AGuH had in May 2017 threatened the Hurriyat Conference leaders for claiming that the movement in Kashmir was for establishing a secular state.

"We are fighting for 'Azadi baraye Islam (Freedom for the sake of Islam)', I am fighting for freedom for the sake of Islam. My blood will spill for Islam and not for a secular state," he had said.

Musa was declared a proclaimed offender by a special court of the National Investigation Agency in Punjab's Mohali earlier this month in connection with serial blasts in Jalandhar in Septmber last year.

Security forces, however, killed AGH chief Zakir Musa in an encounter in a village in South Kashmir's Tral on May 23.

Police had termed Zakir Musa's killing as a major success for security forces as he was wanted in a series of terror crimes over the past six years.

"According to the police records, Musa had a long history of terror crime records since 2013. He was initially associated with proscribed terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen but later floated new outfit AGH," police spokesperson had said.

He said Musa was wanted by law for his complicity in a series of terror crimes including attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities.

(With inputs from Arvind Ojha)

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