In Kashmir, internet services banned again after security forces kill Hizbul terrorist

NEW DELHI: Soon after security forces killed Hizbul Mujahideen leader Sabzar Ahmad on Saturday morning, the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) government decided to again cut mobile internet services in Kashmir, a mere 12-odd hours after an earlier month-long

internet ban

had ended.

The government hasn't yet released a statement with reasons for its decision to snap Internet services again. It hasn't said how long the shutdown will be for either.

However, police sources told TOI on Saturday that as an encounter with terrorists was going - in which Ahmad was killed - stone-pelters were sending audio messages via WhatsApp urging people to come to Ahmad's aid and to spread the message about the encounter. Ahmad was said to be Wani's successor, after Zakir Musa, who took over after Wani quit the terrorist outfit earlier this month.

The sources added that stone-pelters were also being mobilized through various Whatsapp groups, and many are already out on the streets in several parts of the Valley, following Ahmad's killing by security forces.

"Loudspeakers were also used in some areas of Tral to reach

Saimoh

to help the terrorists," the police sources added.

Police sources said the government decided to go with the ban on mobile internet to prevent deterioration in law and order situation. Last year, when Burhan Wani was killed , the government did not place any preventive measures for over 12 hours, leading to massive mob violence on the streets. Last month, the government cited similar provocations as the reason it was banning 22 social networking sites for a month.

On April 26, the Mehbooba Mufti government banned almost two-dozen social networking sites and applications, including Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter. It said it was blocking these sites because they were allegedly being misused by anti-national and anti-social elements to foment violence.

The state has been plagued with violence for close to a year now, since the killing of terrorist Burhan Wani. Stone-throwing by protesters has created a host of problems for security forces with allegations of abuses by both sides.

After Wani was killed last July, Zakir Musa succeeded him as Hizb's top man. Musa however quit the terrorist outfit May 13, after the Hizb refused to back his statement warning that separatist leaders would be beheaded for calling the Kashmir issue "political".

It was after that

Sabzar Ahmad

was named Wani's successor.

Read this story in Bengali