Srinagar: From a maths teacher to a calculative militant, Reyaz Naikoo had a charmed existence as a terrorist for eight years. However it all ended Wednesday when Naikoo was killed by security forces in a gun-battle lasting five hours.
Life ends from where it all started
Life came to full circle for the 35-year-old bespectacled chief of the banned Hizbul Mujahideen terror outfit. He was gunned down at the same village from where he had scripted his journey in militancy in 2012.
Naikoo escaped the security dragnet several times before he lost the battle in his native village Beighpora 40 kms from here. His first ‘daily diary’ entry in police records at Awantipora, which is part of Pulwama district, dates back to June 6, 2012. This was two weeks after he had disappeared from his home at Beighpora village.
Tech savvy and loner
From teaching mathematics, a subject Naikoo loved, at a private school to joining the militancy, Naikoo had 11 cases against him. He carried a cash reward of Rs 12 lakh on his head. He was a loner as he seldom trusted anyone within his outfit, a senior police officer said.
Naikoo was calculative in his operation and his next move was only known to him. Being tech savvy, he never left any electronic trail about his movements, said the police official.
Staying away from limelight
Naikoo, who was tech savvy, kept himself away from limelight and allowed Burhan Wani to take the centre stage after 2014. Post Wani’s elimination, he again kept himself away from the internal politics of the terror group. Naikoo then asked Sabzar Ahmed and later Zakir Musa to take over the reins of the outfit.
Sabzar was neutralised within few weeks after Wani’s death in July 2016. Musa split from the Hizbul Mujahideen group and formed his own Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, an affiliate of Al-Qaeda, in 2017. It left a vacuum in the terror group and then Naikoo stepped in.
Early life
The son of a farmer, Naikoo, completed his graduation from Government Degree College in Pulwama. He then started teaching in a private school. However, he was detained by security forces during the unrest of 2010 and released in 2012.
Naikoo was a changed man and after his release and in third week of May 2012, he left his home. He never returned there before 2016. He made a dramatic appearance at the funeral of a terrorist in Shopian carrying a Kalashnikov rifle. There, he had fired several shots in the air. It started a trend of giving gun salute to militants who were killed in encounters with security forces.
Naikoo’s movements were generally noticed in Dogripora, Brawbandia, Banderpora, Litter, Chakoora and Chandgam, Renzipora.
Leaving police red-faced
Naikoo gave anxious moments to police in September 2018 when he picked up 11 of their relatives after his father was detained. His dad was was subsequently released and so were the hostages.
Naikoo has been often been involved in promoting Pakistani propaganda. He has released many videos and audios threatening policemen. He always asked them to stay away from anti-militancy operations.
Agencies