Pulwama encounter: Hizbul chief Riyaz Naikoo was killed in a joint operation by the Army and J&K Police
Riyaz Naikoo, one of Kashmir's most wanted terrorists and commander of terror group Hizbul Mujahideen, was killed in an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir this morning. Naikoo, alias Mohammed Bin Qasim, was wanted in 11 terror-related cases and carried a bounty of Rs 12 lakh on his head and was a close aide of top Hizbul commander Burhan Wani, who was killed in an encounter in July 2016.
Here are 5 points about Hizbul chief Riyaz Naikoo:
Riyaz Naikoo, 32, was born in the south Kashmir region and graduated from a college in Pulwama district. A government statement says he was a school teacher for two years, between 2010 and 2012, and gave lectures on Islamic topics. Naikoo was reported missing in 2012.
Riyaz Naikoo became "head of operations in Kashmir", after taking over from Yaseen Ittoo, a top terrorist killed in an encounter in September 2017.
As per the Intelligence Bureau report, Naikoo was described as "one of the most experienced Hizbul commanders" and someone who played the role of facilitator and motivator.
According to police he used social media to indoctrinate young men and was also involved in a number of others cases, including the killing of special police officers. He also threatened J&K Police officials into resignation by kidnapping members of their families.
In 2018 an audio clip of a reported conversation between two terrorists, one of whom was believed to be Naikoo, emerged in which terrorists were urged to pour acid into eyes of candidates standing for panchayat polls being held at the time.
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