Curfew-like restrictions in Kashmir day after Hizb-ul-Mujahideen chief Riyaz Naikoo's killing

Amid sporadic incidents of stone-pelting in some areas and curfew-like restrictions, tense situation prevailed in Kashmir on Thursday, a day after Hizb-ul-Mujahideen operations chief Riyaz Naikoo was killed in an encounter with security forces in southern Pulwama district.

Although Kashmir is under the third phase of coronavirus lockdown, curfew-like restrictions were also imposed in most parts of the valley, including Srinagar city, soon after the news about Naikoo's killing spread on Wednesday afternoon and continued throughout Thursday. Naikoo was among four militants killed in two separate encounters with security forces in Pulwama on Wednesday.

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Additional security forces were deployed across sensitive and vulnerable areas of the valley for ensuring peace. News of the killing of 35-year-old Naikoo, who carried a reward of Rs 12 lakh on his head and had escaped the police dragnet thrice, led to some incidents of people pelting stones at security forces on Wednesday also in which 16 civilians were injured.

Four among the injured had reportedly bullet injuries and unconfirmed reports on Thursday said one the injured civilian died in a hospital. However, the police didn’t confirm the death.
Anticipating a law and order problem following the killing of Naikoo, authorities suspended mobile telephone services of private operators and mobile internet services across the Valley since Wednesday morning.

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Fearing more protests on Friday, a police official said that restrictions will continue due to the prevailing situation in the sensitive areas of Kashmir. He said mobile and internet services will also remain snapped till further orders.

The bodies of Naikoo and his aide were not handed over to the families and instead buried at Sonamarg in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district. In a new development, authorities are quietly burying the bodies of local militants at faraway places to avoid huge funerals.

In the recent few years, ‘glamorized funerals’ of militants had acted as fertile ground for militants to mobilise opinion in their favour and asking youths to join the militancy.