Burhan Wani | |
---|---|
Born | 1994[1] Dadasara, Tral, Pulwama district, Jammu and Kashmir, India |
Died | 8 July 2016[2] or 22[3]) Bumdoora, Kokernag, Anantnag district, Jammu and Kashmir, India | (aged 21)
Buried | Tral, Jammu and Kashmir 33°54′14″N 75°05′06″W / 33.904°N 75.085°W |
Allegiance | Hizbul Mujahideen[4][5][6] |
Active | 2010–2016 |
Battles / wars | Kashmir conflict |
Burhan Wani (19 September 1994 – 8 July 2016) was the leader of Hizbul Mujahideen, an Islamist militant organization and terrorist group of the Kashmir conflict.[a] He had become a popular figure amongst the local Kashmiri populace, having done so primarily through a strong social media presence, and was responsible for moulding the insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir into a youth-oriented movement. Wani was a militant leader and had reportedly recruited numerous foot-soldiers through his personal efforts.[10]
As a militant leader, Wani was actively sought by Indian security forces, who had imposed a bounty for his capture. He was located in a remote village in the Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir and subsequently killed in a firefight with Indian forces on 8 July 2016. Wani's killing sparked massive protests across the entire Kashmir Valley[7][11][12][13] in what became the worst span of unrest in the region since the 2010 unrest.[14][15] As a result, the state of Jammu and Kashmir was placed under 53 consecutive days of curfew, which was fully lifted by 31 August 2016.[16][17][18] The protests that followed Wani's killing resulted in the deaths of more than 96 people[19] and injuries to over 15,000 civilians and 4,000 Indian security personnel.[20][21]
Kashmir Valley is on the boil since July 9, a day after Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter with security forces in Anantnag district of south Kashmir. The widespread protests claimed the lives of 55 people and left over 6000 injured, with hundreds hit by pellets in their eyes as a result of which, doctors say, a number of youths have lost their eye sight.
Modi met national party leaders on Friday to seek ways to end the worst unrest in Kashmir since 2010.
The worst violence since 2010 – when the Valley was rocked by similar protests leaving scores dead and injured – has sparked a verbal spat between India and Pakistan, both blaming each other for the flare-up.
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