Alarming Number of Kashmiris killed in IIOJK since Burhan Wani’s death: report

• Indian troops have reportedly martyred 1821 Kashmiris in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) region.
• 242 of the martyred Kashmiris were killed in either fake encounters or while in custody.
• Burhan Wani, along with his two associates, was martyred in 2016.

Since the extrajudicial killing of the popular youth leader, Burhan Muzaffar Wani, in 2016, Indian troops have reportedly martyred 1821 Kashmiris in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) region.

Shockingly, among the victims, 40 women have also lost their lives. A recent report from the Research Section of Kashmir Media Service, released on the occasion of Burhan Wani’s martyrdom anniversary, highlights that 242 of the martyred Kashmiris were killed in either fake encounters or while in custody.

According to the report, the use of excessive force by Indian military, paramilitary, and police personnel in the occupied territory has resulted in injuries to at least 29,984 individuals.

This includes the firing of bullets, pellets, and tear gas shells on peaceful demonstrators and mourners.

Burhan Wani, along with his two associates, was martyred in 2016 in what was later revealed to be a fake encounter in the Kokernag area of the Islamabad district.

This incident sparked a widespread uprising in IIOJK, and in the subsequent months, Indian troops resorted to firing bullets, pellets, and tear gas shells on peaceful protesters, leading to the martyrdom of over 150 innocent Kashmiris.

Burhan Wani was born on July 7, 1994, in South Kashmir. Despite belonging to a relatively well-off family, he treaded the path of a civic activist at a young age after witnessing the frequent attacks of Indian brutal army on innocent Kashmiris.

At the age of 15, he started to raise his voice against the aggressive Indian forces. Soon he was known as a brave Kashmir activist, gaining recognition for his mesmerizing personality and passionate speeches.

Social media platforms became his means of spreading his message of opposition to Indian occupation and motivating others to join the cause.

His ability to connect with IIOJK youth, who recognized him as a symbol of resistance against Indian oppression, made him a prominent figure within the freedom movement.

He used social media platforms to spread his message and recruit more individuals to join the cause.