Riyaz Naikoo, Hizbul Commander, Eliminated And Now Is The Right Time To Go After The Rest
By A Special Correspondent
First publised on 2020-05-06 20:53:14
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The security forces have acted swiftly and commendably to neutralize Riyaz Naikoo, the commander of Hizbul Mujahideen in India. Naikoo, the most wanted terrorist in the Valley with a reward of Rs 12 lakh on his head, was killed in a joint operation by the Army and the J&K police in the Beighpura area of the Pulwama district in the state.
For the last few weeks, terrorist activities have seen a spurt in the Valley with the security forces suffering huge losses. Just a few days back, the Army lost senior and experienced officers a Colonel and a Major and a day later, the CRPF lost three of its jawans. The terrorists were becoming bolder and fitting response from the security forces was absolutely essential to take the wind out of their sails.
By all accounts, Naikooâs elimination is a huge achievement as he was seen as an experienced and tactical commander who was adept at using technology to further the aims of the group. He had used social media to indoctrinate many youngsters and turn them into terrorists. He was also said to be good at conducting operations against the convoys of security forces. His killing will leave a lot of his handpicked 'agents' aimless and without direction.
While it is true that terrorist organizations mostly have a swift change of command in such cases, it is also true that it takes time for them to regroup and start operations again after such a setback. This is the right time for the security forces to go after them in a big way. A sustained operation at this time, especially in Pulwama and Kupwara districts (which have seen the biggest spurt in terrorist activities in the last few weeks), will scatter the operatives and if it succeeds in eliminating a good number of them, crush the current pipeline of the network.
