Militancy saw a rise in local recruits after the summer uprising of 2010 failed, the youth who picked up guns during that period included Burhan Wani, Majid Zarger, Dawood Sheikh, Ayatullah Khumani.
Reports estimate that as many as 500 local youth have become militants out of whom the majority have come from South Kashmir.
A report by Indian agencies has spotlighted the spread of the militancy that was quelled in 2010, but surged after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8, 2016.
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Ayatullah Khumani had joined militant ranks in 2010 and figured in the list of most wanted militants, while Dawood and Majid Zarger became the faces of militancy during those years.
The shelf life of a local Militant, as per security reports, has reduced from 2 years to three months after the Government Forces launched an ‘Operation All Out’ against Militants in Kashmir amid a massive surge in number of local boys joining Militancy.
Khumani (22), a resident of Czingam inSouth Kashmir’s Kulgam district was killed in an encounter with forces in May 2015. Khumani, hailing from a poor family, has another brother who keeps going in and out of the jail. He is, it is told, the man who also recruited Riyaz Naikoo and many more young boys including Majid Zargar into Militant ranks.
Dawood Sheikh (21), a resident of Quimoh in Kulgam District was killed in an encounter with Government Forces on Mar 07, 2016. Dawood was arrested multiple times, till he eventually, ‘tired of harassment’ joined the Militant outfit, Hizb ul Mujahideen.
Majid Zarger (23), a resident of Quimoh, was killed in an encounter in Arwani on 10 January 2017. Zarger’s brothers have been harassed even post his death. He started the snatching of weapons from the Security Forces and was a supporter of an independent Militancy.
Burhan Wani who confined himself to Tral division of South Kashmir, continued recruiting youth and in some years, he became the face of ‘New Age Militancy.’ Burhan killed on July 08, 2016 took Militancy from forests to the social media.
The Indian Army in June of 2017 prepared a list of 12 Most wanted Militants and launched an operation all out against the Militancy which has seen a fresh life post the killing of Burhan Wani in July 2016.
Out of the 12 Most Wanted Militants, Only two had survived the storm of the massive manhunt launched against Militants by Indian Government Forces, which included Zakir Musa and Riyaz Naikoo
The Government Forces have been able to hunt down 250 Militants, the last year which included most of the Militant commanders.
Apart from which, they have arrested 800 OGWs in 2018, which they believe is equally successful.
Junaid Matoo, a resident of Khudwani had joined militancy at the age of 18. He was put in the list of 12 most wanted militants in the Valley by the Indian Army was Killed in an encounter with Forces in Arwani area of Bijbehara in South Kashmir’s Islamabad (Anantnag) District on 16 June, 2017.
Bashir Ahmed Wani alias Lashkari was killed by Government Forces on 1 July 2017 when Government Forces laid siege around a house in Breenti area of Dialgam in South Kashmir’s Islamabad (anantnag) District.
Waseem Ahmed Shah of Heff Shermal was killed in an encounter at Litter in Pulwama District of South Kashmir on October 13 2017.
Abu Dujana known popularly as the Cordon breaker was killed in an encounter in Hakripora area of South Kashmir’s Pulwama District on 01 August 2017 along with his associate, Arif Lelhari.
Abu Hamas was killed in an encounter with Government Forces on 17 March this year at Khanmoh, he was the Jaish-e-Mohammed divisional commander but joined hands with Zakir Musa soon after Zakir split from Militant outfit Hizb ul Mujahideen.
Saddam Padder had also appeared in the list of most wanted Militants prepared by Indian Army in 2017 June. Padder joined militant ranks in the late 2013 and from being a shadow of the slain Burhan Wani, climbed the ladder within the ranks to become one of the most wanted militants in the Kashmir valley.
Showkat Ahmed Tak besides a low-profile militant was a local contact of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba militants. Even though Showkat didn’t become a household name like Burhan Wani, he had become one of the “deadliest militants” for Government forces in the Valley.
Mohammed Yasin Itoo an A++ Category Hizb Militant was killed in an encounter at Awneera area in South Kashmir’s Shopian District on 14 August 2017.
Altaf Ahmed Kaczroo, A resident of Hawoora area of Quimoh belt of Kulgam district in south Kashmir was killed in an encounter in Islamabad (Anantnag) District on August 29 this year.
Zeenat ul Islam, a resident of Sugan area in Shopian was killed in an encounter on 12 January.
Zakir Musa, who serparted ways from Hizb ul Mujahideen was killed in an encounter, the last year on 23 May, The chief commander of Ansar Ghazwat ul Hind, Zakir Musa surfaced on the list of the Most wanted militants for three consecutive years.
Riyaz Naikoo, the operational commander of Hizb ul Mujahideen, was the longest surviving militant out of the top commanders. He reportedly has too been killed during a gunfight in Pulwama’s Beighpora which is his native.
Riyaz Naikoo who had joined Militancy in 2012, a former teacher of Mathematics at a private school is believed to be the man behind the kidnapping of more than family members of 50 Policemen in South Kashmir after the family members of militants were arrested by Police in 2018.
An A++ category Militant, Naikoo carried an award of 12.5 Lakh rupees on his head, and is believed to have given slip to security agencies on several occasions. He escaped on various occasions after encounters started especially in the Pulwama District of South Kashmir where he enjoyed a massive public support.
Riyaz Naikoo communicated mainly through audio messages and was highly popular for hus audio messages especially after he was promoted to the top Hizb post after the killing of Yaseen Itoo ( Ghazwani) in August 2017.
The eliminations of senior commanders have now put most of the surviving militants in south Kashmir, where the number of militants has been the highest in a decade, on the back foot and without enough experience in its ranks.
Over 600 militants were killed in counter-militancy operations in the past three years. (The Kashmiriyat)