Top militant Naikoo, and associate killed

srinagar — In a major success in anti-militancy operations in J&K, security forces on Wednesday killed the most wanted militant commander, Riyaz Naikoo along with his associate in Pulwama district thereby avenging the deaths of five security men killed in Kupwara district on May 3.

Naikoo, Kashmir’s most wanted terrorist and Hizbul chief was trapped late on Tuesday in his native Beighpora village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district.

The Hizbul Mujahiddin commander and his associate were killed early on Wednesday while another militant was killed in a separate operation in Sharshali village of Khrew area in Pulwama district away from Naikoo’s encounter spot.

Confirming Naikoo’s death a senior security forces officer said, “Naikoo has been neutralised along with his associate. “We had said that the martyrdom of our bravehearts, Colonel Ashutosh Sharma, Major Anuj Sood, Lance naik Dinesh Singh, naik Rakesh Kumar and sub-inspector Saqeer Khan would be avenged and that pledge has been fulfilled within three days.”

Two terrorists, a Pakistan national and a local terrorist were also killed in the encounter in Chanjimulla village of Handwara tehsil on May 3 along with bravehearts. Officials said the operation to eliminate Naikoo was carried out with pinpoint precision without any collateral damage.

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. —