Burhan Wani, a commander of terrorist group Hizbul Mujahideen, was killed on Friday in a joint operation of Indian Army and Jammu & Kashmir Police.
Wani, 22, had become a poster boy of the Valley’s militancy, and was killed along with two other terrorists in Anantnag district of Kashmir.
The killing of Wani is being described as “the biggest-ever success” of security agencies in recent times.
Wani joined terrorist groups in 2010 when he was just 15 years of age. He was carrying a reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head, and remained elusive because of his support on the ground. He redefined militancy in Kashmir, and used technology to attract Kashmiri youths toward terrorism. Burhan liked to be photographed and use social media to connect to people. Khalid, Burhan’s elder brother, was also shot dead by the Army last year.
Wani had released a video last month warning of severe attacks on separate colonies for soldiers and Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley. He had also warned J&K Police of more attacks.
Intelligence agencies had got a tip that Wani was planning to come down from the Tral forest area for Eid celebrations.
Wani and his two local associates holed themselves up in a house in Bumdoora village in Kokernag area, and also hurled grenade at security forces. They opened fire in a bid to escape but were killed after Army jawans bombed the house the militants were hiding in. Among those killed, one terrorist was identified as Sartaj Ahmed Sheikh, while another terrorist is yet to be identified.
“Yes, he (Burhan) has been killed,” Syed Javid Mujtaba Gillani, Inspector General of Police, Kashmir Zone told DNA India. “It is a big success. He was killed in a house in a built-up area.”
“Every time an operation was launched against Wani, our movement was reported to him by his huge network of young supporters and fans,” said a top police officer.
Hearing the news of Wani’s death, hundreds of people gathered in Tral on Friday evening to participate in his funeral prayers. People also attacked several security forces’ installations in south Kashmir. Separatist leaders Asiya Andrabi and Syed Ali Shah Geelani have given a call for complete shutdown in the state on Saturday to protest against Burhan’s killing.
The State government has imposed curfew-like restrictions in Pulwama, Srinagar, Anantnag, Sopore, Shopian, Kupwara and Kulgam. Many separatist leaders have been put under house arrest.
