Sources in the government say, social media posts from across the border may be aimed at fomenting trouble in Kashmir.

Key Highlights Nearly half of the social media responses to Hizb commander Burhan Wani’s killing have been from “unknown” locations"

Those posting comments may have switched off their location so that they could not be traced.

I&B sources say, people are commenting in the social media space to spark off trouble, and there is no accountability

NEW DELHI: Nearly half of the social media responses to Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani’s killing have been from “unknown” locations, setting off alarm bells within the establishment.

Analysis of Twitter, Facebook and other social media reactions for the week July 8-14 found that of a sample of 1.26 lakh responses, 54,285 or 45 per cent were from unknown geographical locations. About 49,159 responses, or 40 per cent, were from India while over 8 per cent, or 10,110, were from Pakistan.

“This is a worrying trend because it indicates that there is a proxy war in cyber space that Pakistan is indulging in. People are tweeting or commenting in the social media space to spark off trouble and there is no accountability,’’ sources in the information and broadcasting (I&B) ministry said.

Officials said that those posting comments may have switched off their location so that they could not be traced. The analysis comes at a time when the government is under fire over a ban on the media, including newspapers and TV. Internet, telecommunications and cable TV services have also been snapped in the state. The alleged clampdown comes after large-scale unrest in the state.

The report reveals that the rest of the responses came from countries like the US (3,246), UK (1,463), UAE (849), Australia (472), Canada (406), Saudi Arabia (402) and China (394).

Officials tracking social media see this as a test case. Wani, 22, is largely known to have popularised the image of militancy in J&K. His extensive use of social media made him a figure admired by the youth, sources said. Soon after he was shot dead in an encounter, hashtags like #BurhanWani, #PakistanstandswithKashmir and #KashmirUnrest started trending.

