Burhan Wani

Burhan Wani (19 September 1994 – 8 July 2016) was a commander of Hizbul Mujahideen, an Islamist militant organization and insurgent group of the Kashmir conflict. He had become a popular figure amongst the local Kashmiri populace, having done so primarily through a strong social media presence, and was responsible for moulding the insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir into a youth-oriented movement. Wani was a militant leader and had reportedly recruited numerous foot-soldiers through his personal efforts.

As a popular militant, Wani was actively sought by Indian security forces, who had imposed a bounty for his capture. He was located in a remote village in the Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir and subsequently killed in a firefight with Indian forces on 8 July 2016. Wani's killing sparked massive protests across the entire Kashmir Valley in what became the worst span of unrest in the region since the 2010 unrest. As a result, the state of Jammu and Kashmir was placed under 53 consecutive days of curfew, which was fully lifted by 31 August 2016. The protests that followed Wani's killing resulted in the deaths of more than 96 people and injuries to over 15,000 civilians and 4,000 Indian security personnel.