Riyaz Ahmad Naikoo was an Islamic terrorist and one of the top ten most wanted militant commanders of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
12 Facts About Riyaz Naikoo
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Riyaz Naikoo was the operational chief of Hizbul Mujahideen, an Islamist, Pro-Pakistan militant organization active in India's Jammu and Kashmir.
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Riyaz Naikoo gave free tuition to children from economically weaker backgrounds.
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Riyaz Naikoo was wanted for killing and abduction of police officers, firing on a police bus and requirement in other crimes.
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Riyaz Naikoo's father was released and the 11 hostages were accordingly let go by Naikoo.
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Riyaz Naikoo started the practice of offering gun salutes to militants killed in encounters and posting them on social media.
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Riyaz Naikoo was responsible for recruiting "scores of young Kashmiris in an armed quest for independence from India".
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Riyaz Naikoo's videos were circulated on the social media; one such video after the revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir showed him saying that the revocation was "irrelevant to us" and the fight would continue.
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Riyaz Naikoo was killed in an encounter with 21 Rashtriya Rifles and Jammu and Kashmir Police on 6 May 2020 in Beighpora.
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Riyaz Naikoo had been among the top 10 on the most-wanted list in Kashmir.
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Riyaz Naikoo was one of Kashmir's longest surviving militants.
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Protests against the killing of Riyaz Naikoo were the first since August 2019, when the revocation of Kashmir's special status took place, with at least one protester dying and 50 seriously injured with bullet wounds to the chest and some with pellet injuries in one or both eyes.