All 10 terrorists who posed with Burhan Wani killed
Two years ago, Burhan Wani's killing triggered a wave of violence in restive Kashmir, which eventually led to the deaths of more than 100 civilians and security personnel. Some claim it isn't yet over. But the forces have achieved one major goal: yesterday, they eliminated the last of the 10 terrorists who boldly posed with Wani sometime in 2014-15, a picture that went viral.
Wani, a symbol of new-age militancy in Kashmir, was the leader of Hizbul Mujahideen when he was 22. He had ushered in a change in style: young militants began shedding their masks as Wani used social media extensively to radicalize youngsters. When he was killed on July 8, 2016, in a Kokernag encounter, thousands took to the streets to protest and launch attacks on the forces.
Before his death, 10 other terrorists posed with him in a now-famous photo: they have been identified as Saddam Hussain Paddar, Adil Khanday, Naseer Pandit, Waseem Malla, Afaq Bhat, Sabzar Bhat, Anees, Ishfaq, Wasim Shah and Tariq Pandit, most in their early-20s.
The first of these terrorists who died was Adil Khanday along with one of his associates in a gunfight in Shopian on October 22, 2015. Like Wani's, his death too triggered massive protests. Days later, Afaq Bhat, ironically the son of a policeman, was eliminated in Drabgam, Pulwama on October 26.
Five more were killed before Wani was. Naseer Pandit and Waseem Malla were removed in an encounter in Shopian on April 7, 2016. A month later, Ishfaq was killed along with two others in Pulwama on May 7. He too was actively involved in recruitment through social media. Tariq Pandit, who surrendered on May 28, is the only one among the group to survive.
The first killing of Wani's peers after his death was on May 27, 2017, when Sabzar Bhat, his successor, was gunned down in Tral. Bhat had carried forward Wani's tech-savvy militancy and hunted for young recruits on social media. Meanwhile, Wasim Shah was killed in an encounter in Pulwama on October 14, 2017. The last to go was Saddam Hussain Paddar, eliminated in Shopian yesterday.
Apart from Paddar, four other terrorists were eliminated yesterday, including Mohammad Rafi Bhat, an assistant professor at the Kashmir University, who had joined militancy just 36 hours ago. Forces brought along Bhat's family to convince him to surrender, but he didn't yield.
