Hizb commander Riyaz, aide killed
Burhan Wani successor had `12 lakh reward on his head, forces claim ‘spectacular feat’
● THE ENCOUNTER took place in Naikoo’s native village Baigpora
● NAIKOO WAS named as one of the ten "most wanted terrorists" by the Union home ministry in June last year
Top Hizbul Mujahideen commander Riyaz Naikoo was killed along with his aide in a gunbattle with the security forces in J&K’s Pulwama district Wednesday. Security officials said his killing was a “major and spectacular victory” in their battle against militancy.
Two more militants were gunned down by troops in a similar clash in a neighbouring village, the officials said
Naikoo, who took over as Hizb’s operational commander after Zakir Musa quit to form a separate group some years ago, carried a reward of `12 lakhs on his head. Musa replaced Burhan Wani, who was killed in an operation in the Kokernag area of Anantnag district in July 2016.
The police said the encounter took place in Naikoo’s village Baigpora after columns of the Army’s 55 Rashtriya Rifles, J&K Special Operations Group and the CRPF launched an operation overnight after “credible inputs” about the presence of militants at a private house at Baigpora.
Naikoo was named one of the 10 “most wanted terrorists” by the Union home ministry in June last year. Before becoming Hizb’s operational chief, Naikoo was the outfit’s Pulwama commander. He quit his job of mathematics teacher to join the militants’ ranks in December 2012 and was soon placed in the category A++ militants’ list. The J&K police, confirming his death, said he was “neutralised” with his “associate”.
Mobile Internet services were cut and the security forces began enforcing curfew-like restrictions in major Valley towns on Wednesday amid reports that Naikoo was trapped in one of the three encounters in Pulwama since Tuesday night.
After Naikoo’s death was confirmed, all mobile phone services barring those of BSNL were also suspended as a “precautionary measure”.
In a separate encounter that took place in Sharshali village in Krew area of Pulwama, two militants were killed on Wednesday. The police said that the fire fight broke out between a group of militants and security forces in the village after the security forces launched a cordon-andsearch operation on Tuesday night on receiving input about presence of militants in a private house.