Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, July 8: Top commander of Hizbul Mujahideen, Burhan Wani, was killed this evening along with his two associates in South Kashmir.
Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police, K Rajendra Kumar, told Excelsior that 22-year old Hizbul Mujahideen commander was killed along with his two associates in a shootout in Kokernag area this evening.
Reports said that the Special Operations Group of Jammu and Kashmir Police, Srinagar and Army cordoned off village Kowpora Kokernag in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district this evening after they received information about presence of few militants hiding in the village.
The troops fired some warning shots outside the house of one Farooq Ahmad Wani son of Ghulam Mohammad Wani where the militants were hiding. The militants also fired at troops from inside the house leading to a gun battle in which three militants were killed.
The killed militants have been identified as Burhan Wani of Tral, Masoom Shah of Srigufwara and Sartaj Sheikh of Taki Mohalla Kokernag.
Wani, featured in videos circulated on Facebook and WhatsApp along with his group frequently. He was the most wanted militant in Kashmir as he was posting videos and pictures on social networking sites including Facebook frequently to lure youth to militancy.
Son of a School Headmaster, Wani dropped out from the school and joined militancy in 2010. He was carrying a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head. His brother was killed by army last year in Tral area.
There have been reports of protests from Tral and several other areas of Pulwama. Protests also broke out in Srinagar where stone throwing youth clashed with police at several places in old city.
As the separatists have called for strike tomorrow and there have been clashes in parts of Srinagar soon after the news about killing of Burhan spread, Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, Farooq Lone said that there would be restrictions in parts of Srinagar tomorrow. He said that the restrictions will remain in force in areas falling under six Police Stations in Srinagar of Mahraj Gunj, Safa Kadal, Khanyar, Rainawari, Zadibal and Nowhatta. Curfew like restrictions have also been imposed in Pulwama and Anantnag districts of South Kashmir to prevent any trouble.
Asking people to attend the funeral procession of Burhan, chairman Hurriyat (G) Syed Ali Shah Geelani called for complete shutdown tomorrow. The shut down was also called by Mirwaiz Omar Farooq and JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik.
As precautionary measures authorities have put several separatist leaders including Geelani, Mriwaiz and Malik under house arrest.
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