Hizb Commander Riyaz Naikoo killed; here's list of top terrorists eliminated in Kashmir valley

Image courtesy: ANI

New Delhi: A top Hizbul Mujahideen commander Riaz Naikoo killed on Wednesday (May 6) by security forces in a village in Kashmir's Pulwama district. On the run for eight years, Naikoo was actively involved in brainwashing and recruitment of young boys in South Kashmir to join the terror outfit. 

After his encounter, there is no known name alive to lead Hizbul Mujahideen in the Kashmir valley. Security forces had launched a massive operation to trap him in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama. The encounter, which started late on Tuesday night went on till Wednesday afternoon. 

Riyaz Naikoo reportedly came to his native home in Pulwama’s Beighpora village when the security forces including the Rashtriya Rifles (RR), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the local police, sealed all entry and exit points of the village.

With Naikoo, who carried a reward of Rs 12 lakh on his head, two other militants were killed in a separate encounter in Sharshali Khrew area of Awantipora where the encounter began late on Tuesday night.

According to security agencies, there are 242 terrorists active in Jammu and Kashmir, and of these 104 Pakistanis. The ISI is striving hard to pressurize the cuurently active terro outfits to attack on Indian security.

Riyaz Naikoo became the de facto chief of Hizbul Mujahideen after the death of Burhan Wani, the poster boy of militancy in the Valley, in July 2016. Here's a list of top terrorists killed by security forces in Kashmir. 

1. Muzaffar Ahmed Bhat: Four terrorists, including district commander of LeT Muzaffar Ahmed Bhat, were killed in an encounter with security forces in the Dialgam area of Anantnag district in south Kashmir on March 15, 2020.

2. JeM self-styled Kashmir chief Qari Yasir along with two terrorists was killed in an encounter with security forces in the Tral area of south Kashmir's Pulwama district on January 25, 2020.

3. Abu Saifullah alias Abu Qasim, top militant commander Abu Saifullah alias Abu Qasim, an associate of Yasir, was killed in the Khrew area of Pulwama district on January 23, 2020.

4. Burhan wani, who was the poster boy of Hizbul Mujahideen group in the Kashmir Valley, was killed in an encounter with security forces in Kokernag area of south Kashmir's Anantnag district on July 8, 2016. 

5. Zakir Musa, former Hizbul Mujahideen commander and Ansar Ghazwat-ul Hind chief and a A++ terrorist, was killed in an encounter in Dadsara Tral area on May 23, 2019.

6. Jaish-e-Mohammed Commander Fayaz Panzoo was Killed in Anantnag encounter along with his associates on July 30, 2019.

7. Hameed Lelhari, who was Zakir Musa's successor and chief of Kashmir's al-Qaeda unit, was gunned down by the security forces in an encounter at Jammu and Kashmir's Awantipora on October 22, 2019.

8. Top Hizbul Mujahideen commander Osama, who was wanted in connection with the assassination of a senior BJP leader and an RSS functionary, was killed along with two other terrorists in Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir on September 28, 2019.

9. Top Lashkar terrorist Asif Maqbool Bhat, who was behind Sopore attack on fruit trader’s family, was eliminatd in an encounter in Sopore on September 11, 2019.

10. Pakistani national Munna Lahori, a top commander of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), was killed in a joint operation of Jammu and Kashmir Police and Indian Army on July 27, 2019. 

11. Ishfaq Ahmad Sofi, a top commander of Islamic State Jammu and Kashmir (ISJK) — an IS-inspired module in Kashmir Valley, was killed during an anti-insurgency operation in Amshipura area of south Kashmir’s Shopian district in May 2019.

12. Top JeM Commander Khalid Bhai was killed with Naseer Pandith of Karmibad Pulwama and Umar Mir of Shopian in an encounter at Dalipora village, in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on May 17, 2019.

13. Mudasir Ahmed Khan, who was main conspirator of pulwama terror attack, was eliminated in an encounter with security forces in J&K’s Tral area in March 2019.

14. Abu Dujana, the most wanted Lashkar-e-Toiba commander, was killed with another militant in an encounter in Pulwama district of south Kashmir in July 2018.