More than 200 terrorists killed in Jammu and Kashmir in 2020: Report

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Since January 2020, two Hizbul Mujahideen operational chiefs, over a dozen commanders of other terror groups, and more than 200 terrorists have been successfully neutralised by the Indian security forces in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

The latest among these was the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen operational chief Dr Saifullah of Malangpora - who had been involved in several attacks on the Indian security forces.

According to a Hindustan Times report, Hizbul commander Saif ul Islam alias Dr Saifullah was among the oldest active terrorists operating in Kashmir. He had climbed ranks in Kashmir’s largest group after Riyaz Ahmad Naikoo was killed by the security forces at Beighpora in Pulwama earlier this year.

Riyaz Naikoo and Dr Saifullah’s deaths at the hand of the Indian security forces, that too in less than eight months, is believed to have dealt a massive blow to Hizbul Mujahideen.

A senior police officer of the Jammu and Kashmir Police said there are still a handful of experienced militants in Hizbul who are active and may climb ranks to become the new operational chief. “Most probably, the new chief would also be from south Kashmir. Both Naikoo and Saifullah, who were killed within a span of eight months, hailed from south Kashmir’s Pulwama district,” said the police officer.

Notably, most of the militants who were eliminated this year hailed from four districts of south Kashmir, namely, Pulwama, Kulgam, Anantnag, and Shopian.