Asadullah Naikoo, father of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Riyaz Naikoo was arrested by the government forces during a night raid in Awantipora area of Pulwama district.
According to reports, the 70-year old was detained after forces raided his house during the night. The cops have said that he has been detained for questioning.
Apart from senior Naikoo, 18 youth have also been detained during nocturnal raids in several villages of Pulwama district last night.
The Hizb Commander Riyaz Naikoo, according to police, is the brain behind militant recruitment. “Naikoo has motivational power and he has managed to persuade youth and brought them into the fold of the Hizb outfit,” police had said recently.
Recently, Naikoo had said that Amarnath Yatris were ‘guests and that the reports suggesting that militants were planning to attack them were baseless’.
“Amarnath Yatra is not our target. They come here to perform their religious rituals. They (yatris) are our guests,” said Riyaz Naikoo, Field Operational Commander, in an audio clip released on social media.
