Everything You Need To Know About Burhan Wani - The Hizbul Mujahideen Posterboy Killed In An Encounter In Kashmir
Dreaded Kashmiri terrorist Burhan Wani, often referred as the poster boy of the Hizbul Mujahideen in the valley, has been killed in an encounter with the police. The encounter took place on Friday in Bumdoora village of Kokernag in the district after a joint team of police and Army launched a search operation on the basis of specific intelligence inputs about the presence of militants.
Dreaded Kashmiri terrorist Burhan Wani, often referred to as the poster-boy of the Hizbul Mujahideen in the valley, has been killed in an encounter with the police.
ANI
The encounter took place on Friday in Bumdoora village of Kokernag in the district after a joint team of police and Army launched a search operation on the basis of specific intelligence inputs about the presence of militants.
According to the police, the militants fired at the security forces conducting the search operation, resulting in a gunbattle.
Who is Burhan Wani?
A school-dropout, Wani had become the face of Hizbul in the valley after videos featuring him widely circulated in the valley through social media.
He reportedly joined the militia in 2010 at the age of 15.
Wani, a cricket-loving boy, was the son of Muzaffar Ahmed Wani, a local school principal.
His elder brother Khalid whom the family says had nothing to do with militancy was also shot dead by the Army last year. After his elder son's death, Muzaffar Ahmed had this to say.
¡°He was not a militant. Now I am waiting for the body of Burhan. The average life of a militant is only seven years, and he has lived six. So I know his moment will come¡±.
Video as a recruiting tool
Wani, who was among the new generation of Kashmiris who joined the ranks of terror outfits like Hizbul, created quite a storm in the valley, especially among the youth after selfies and videos of him and his colleagues in militant uniforms and armed went viral. Hizbul used the popularity he enjoyed as a tool to recruit youths.
The latest video featuring him was released last month in which Wani warned of attacks on J&K Police and attacks on proposed colonies for Kashmiri Pandits.
The tech-savvy terrorist had a bounty of Rs 10 lakhs on his head.
How his death will affect Hizbul
Wani¡¯s death is a huge victory for the Indian troops and a setback for the Hizbul as he was a star recruiter and the brain behind many attacks. Even though he planned a number of attacks, he had rarely participated in them.
With their poster-boy eliminated the Syed Salahuddin-led outfit which had been gaining momentum will be forced to revise its terror strategy. As a top Hizb operative, Wani¡¯s ultimate goal was to ¡°unfurl the flag of Islam on Delhi¡¯s Red Fort¡±.
Reactions
Ever since the news of his killing broke out, the Kashmir valley has been tense. Hurriyat Conference leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani has called for a bandh in the valley against his killing. Mobile and internet services have been suspended across the valley to prevent the spread of tensions. There are also reports of stone-pelting on police stations and transit camps of Kashmiri Pundits.
Terrible reports coming from #Kashmir. Stone pelting at Haal Kashmiri Pandit transit camp, #Pulwama. In response to Burhan Wani killing.
¡ª Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) July 8, 2016
Train services and the Amarnath Yatra have also been suspended due to security concerns.
As of now the Amarnath Yatra is suspended.All Yatris are given full protection:Durga Prasad,CRPF DG #BurhanWani pic.twitter.com/JKFKqNNw4c
¡ª ANI (@ANI_news) July 9, 2016
Amarnath Yatra suspended for a day after Hizbul commander #BurhanWani was killed: Visuals from Jammu Base camp pic.twitter.com/Ll4Y5S0Quh
¡ª ANI (@ANI_news) July 9, 2016
Bobins Abraham is the Assistant News Editor at Indiatimes. He has more than twelve years of experience in TV and digital journalism. An avid student of history and geopolitics, he is a conservationist and environmentalist at heart. He writes on environment, sustainability, human-animal conflict and more.
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