Eight killed in protests over Wani's killing, mobile internet service suspended

At least eight people were killed during protests in the Kashmir Valley over killing of Hizbul Mujahideen district commander Burhan Wani and two others by the security forces.

Mobile internet service remains suspended in the Jammu region in the wake of protests.

All Parties Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Geelani and separatist leader Asiya Andrabi have called for a complete state-wide shutdown and appealed to the people of the Valley to participate in Wani's funeral prayer in large numbers.

Self-styled commander of Hizb Burhan Wani and two other terrorists were killed in an encounter with a joint operation launched by Rashtriya Rifles (RR), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Jammu and Kashmir Police in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday.

The 22-year-old Internet-savvy Kashmiri terrorist was a resident of Dadsara village in south Kashmir's Tral area. He left his home in 2010, days before taking the Class 10 examination to join the region's frontline indigenous militant outfit Hizb.

He soon rose to become its district commander and figured in the list of most wanted militants.

Wani had last month released a video warning of attacks on separate colonies for Sainiks and Kashmiri Pandits if they were set up in the Valley. The major part of the video message, however, was directed at the Jammu and Kashmir Police warning them of more attacks.

GOC Victor Force Major General Ashok Narula told ANI today that Wani was evading from security forces' radar for the past one and a half months.

"Based on yesterday's information, we launched a combined operation comprising RR, CRPF and police personnel and eliminated the three terrorists; one among them was Burhan Wani. We were after Wani for the past one and a half months. We had launched several operations, but he kept escaping." he said.

Reportedly, there was a Rs. 10 lakh reward for information leading to Wani's arrest.