Security forces on Wednesday killed the most wanted militant commander, Riyaz Naikoo along with his associate in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, multiple reports quoting police and officials said.
Naikoo, Kashmir’s most wanted militant and operational commander of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen was trapped late on Tuesday in his native Beighpora village, reported news agency IANS.
Confirming the Hizb commander’s death, a senior security forces’ officer was quoted as having said by IANS that Naikoo has been killed along with his associate.
Local news gathering agency GNS while quoting the Inspector General of Police, Kashmir Range, said Naikoo was killed in the gunfight along with an aide. He said the operation was still underway, said the report.
However, on its official Twitter handle, police has so far said that two “unidentified” militants were killed in the gunfight.
Authorities have suspended mobile Internet across the Kashmir Valley and imposed curfew in most major towns of the valley to ensure that no ugly fallout of Naikoo’s death affects the law and order.
The overnight operation to trap Naikoo by the security forces was started on Tuesday evening when a massive search operation was launched in the native Beighpora village of Naikoo near the Awantipora town of Pulwama district.
Sources had told IANS then that after receiving credible information that the top Hizbul Mujahideen commander had come to visit his home in Beighpora village the joint op by the Rashtriya Rifles (RR), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the local police, moved in quickly to seal all entry and exit points of the village.
“The adjoining Gulzarpora village has also been brought under the cordon and search operation is on to ensure that once trapped, he is unable to escape,” sources said.
Riyaz Naikoo took over as the commander of Hizbul Mujahideen after the commander Burhan Wani was killed in a gunfight with the security forces in Kokarnag area in Anantnag district on July 8, 2016.
Naikoo carried a reward of Rs 12 lakh on his head.
Naikoo had been masterminding the killings of local policemen to put pressure on them not to engage in anti-militancy operations.
It was because of this threat perception that policemen were advised not to visit their homes especially in South Kashmir districts where Naikoo held sway among the militant ranks.
Before joining the militant ranks, Naikoo worked as a mathematics teacher at a local school. (With inputs from IANS)