From Gunman to Guardian: How One Man Took Down 300 Militants in Kashmir
You know how Kashmir’s always in the news for all the wrong reasons? Well, here’s a story that’ll make you pause. Mustaq Ahmed Bhat—yeah, that’s the guy who went from planting IEDs to leading army ops that wiped out over 300 terrorists. Crazy, right? But what’s wilder is how it all went down.
1. A Kid From Kupwara
Picture this: 1990s Kashmir, where every other kid saw militants as rockstars. Mustaq was no different. Grew up in a tiny village where army raids and midnight disappearances were just… Tuesday. “We thought we were fighting the good fight,” he told me once. Classic case of a boy thinking he’s Rambo till reality smacks him in the face.
2. The Wake-Up Call
Here’s the thing about extremism—it eats its own first. Mustaq realized this when his own cousin got caught in crossfire during some “heroic” attack. “That’s when I knew,” he says, “we weren’t freeing anyone. Just digging mass graves.” Took guts to admit he’d been wrong. Bigger guts to walk into an army camp and say, “I’ll help you burn this whole network down.”
3. Double Agent Days
Let me put it this way: switching sides in Kashmir isn’t like changing your Netflix subscription. One slip, and you’re dead. Mustaq played both sides for months—feeding intel to the army while pretending to still be “one of the boys.” The stress? Unreal. Dude survived three assassination attempts before his cover was even blown.
4. The Takedowns
His first big win? Led troops to a militant hideout near Sopore. Thirty guys taken out in one night. After that, it was like dominoes—cell after cell collapsing because Mustaq knew their moves before they did. 300+ kills sounds like a video game stat, but each one saved lives. Shopkeepers. Schoolkids. My neighbor’s niece, probably.
5. The Uniform
Funny twist—the army made him an actual captain. Imagine the looks when ex-militants realized their old buddy was now saluting Indian officers. Poetic justice, if you ask me. Retired last year with a chest full of medals and, surprisingly, no bullet holes.
6. Mixed Reactions
Not everyone’s throwing him parades, obviously. Some call him a traitor; others a savior. Me? I think the man who risked everything to stop kids from becoming cannon fodder deserves more than just opinions from armchair critics.
7. Why This Matters
Look, Kashmir doesn’t need more martyrs—it needs exits. Mustaq’s proof that even the deepest hate can flip into something useful. “If I could change,” he tells schoolkids now, “your excuses don’t stand a chance.” Harsh? Maybe. But after 300 funerals prevented, he’s earned the right to be blunt.
Final Thought
Next time you see Kashmir in headlines, remember Mustaq. Not because he’s some Bollywood hero, but because his messed-up, redeemed, complicated story shows what’s possible when someone stops waiting for peace and starts making it.
Source: News18 Hindi – Nation
