Anantnag: Riyaz Naikoo, the operational chief of Hizbul Mujahideen, was killed along with an associate by government forces in Naikoo’s native village of Beighpora in Awantipora on Wednesday.
Police confirmed the killing of Naikoo in a gunfight. Early on Wednesday, police had also tweeted from their official handles about the top commander being trapped by government forces at Beighpora village.
In another gunfight, in Shair Shali village of Khrew area in police district Awantipora, two militants were killed, police said.
Naikoo’s native Beighpora village, as per police, was cordoned off late Tuesday night following inputs about his presence there.
“This was not the first time such inputs were received. Recently a 5-day-long operation was concluded in the area without any success following similar inputs,” a local police official told Kashmir Reader.
He said that the forces were able to zero in on the suspected spot and contact was established early Wednesday morning after a night-long operation in the area.
Local sources told Kashmir Reader that forces had employed several excavators to dig up the earth around several locations in Beighpora village. The digging was carried out to track a hideout or a tunnel in which the militant commander was hiding.
“Contact was finally established in a residential house and forces lost no time in blowing up the house using heavy explosives,” police sources said, adding that one of the militants was killed in the explosion while the other managed to sneak out and take shelter in another house.
The second militant was killed in the subsequent exchange of fire. It is not clear if Naikoo was killed in the explosion or in the gunfight.
“Bodies of the militants have been retrieved,” a police official said.
The police released a statement in the evening which said that “on specific inputs, two cordon and search operations were launched by J&K Police and SF at Sarshali and Beigpora in Awantipora. These cordon and search operations led to encounters as the hiding militants fired upon the operation parties. During these encounters four militants were neutralized. In Sharshali encounter 02 terrorists of LeT were killed. The identification of killed militants is being ascertained. Incriminating material including arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter.
In the second operation in Beigpora village of Awantipura district, a top militants commander was trapped along with his associate. The operation was launched last evening and contact was established with hiding terrorists in the morning today. In this encounter two terrorists were killed. One of the militants has been identified as Riyaz Naikoo, it added.
The police statement said, “Naikoo had been continuously making audio and video clips and putting up on social media to motivate youth to join militancy and went on recruiting new boys. He was responsible for a large number of innocent youths getting into militant ranks and indulging in serious violence against local population and SF.”
The police statement added that Naikoo “executed a series of attacks on policemen, SF and civilians. He resorted to brutal killings of civilians branding them as police/SF informers. He looted orchard owners and farmers to collect funds for his outfit. He also has been collecting booty from illicit cultivation of opium and bhang in South Kashmir. His outfit also figured in narco trade case in Jammu where a huge sum of sale proceeds was transferred to one of his contacts. Some of the Killings/ violence where he was directly involved were –
1) killing of Haji Ghulam Mohd Dar Father Of a Sarpanch At Dogripora 0n 8-3-2014
2) Firing On Police Bus Near Bhatpora Tokena
3) killing of Gh Mohi-Ud-din Dar
4) killing of Javaid Akbar Khanday R/o Khandaypora
5) killing of a Police HC Ashiq Hussain Mir at Padgampoara crossing.
6) kidnapping of constable Naseer Ahmad
7) looting of 09 weapons from the residence of ex MLA Wachi.
8) killing of six migrant labour in Kulgam
9) killing of truck drivers and fruit traders post Aug 5.
10) Release of an audio tape threatening attacks on the Jail staff after preferential treatment being provided to militants and the separatists lodged in various jails was discontinued.”
“Apart from the above he was involved in many other cases of heinous crime for which a big number of FIRs were registered against him,” the police statement said.

Suhail A Shah