suspending internet services in Kashmir

Encounter following military intelligence inputs

Internet services restored then again suspended

Year-long violence

killing of Hizb terrorist Wani

Violent protests erupt across south Kashmir after security forces kill 8 terrorists

NEW DELHI: Mere hours after security forces killed Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Sabzar Ahmad on Saturday, stone-pelting protests began in at least 10 locations in south Kashmir , leading to a CRPF commandant being seriously hurt with a head injury, police sources said.Security reinforcements have since been dispatched to sensitive areas in the state. And with word that stone-pelters were mobilising through WhatsApp, the state government immediately began working on, again, a mere 12 hours after they were back up following a month-long ban.Police sources said stone-pelters were being mobilised via WhatsApp groups and were already out in force in 10 or more areas in the Valley. They added that protesters were being summoned even as the encounter with Ahmad in Saimuh, Tral, was going on and before he was killed.According to police sources, Ahmad, alias Abu Zarar, was killed after he was trapped inside a house in a cordon created by security forces. Two other terrorists, one of them a Pakistani, were trapped with him. Of the two, Faizan Muzaffar Bhatt, was also killed in the encounter, which saw exchanges of heavy fire between the terrorists and security forces.Based on specific inputs by military intelligence, the 42 Rashtriya Rifles and the Jammu and Kashmir police launched cordon and search operations in Saimuh near Hardumir, Tral, in Pulwama district at around 7:30 pm on Friday. The security forces were then fired upon while placing the cordon at around 9:15pm.Ahmad was said to be former Hizb terrorist Burhan Wani 's successor, after Zakir Musa , who took over when Wani was killed last year. Musa quit the terrorist outfit earlier this month. Wani was killed by security forces last July.With internet services back up Saturday following the month-long ban, provocateurs again took to social networking sites to fan tempers and organise stone-throwing, following news of Ahmad's killing.."While the encounter was going on, stone-pelters sent audio messages via WhatsApp asking people to come out to help the trapped Hizb commander and share the message through social media. Loudspeakers were also used in some areas of Tral to reach Saimuh to help the terrorists," the police sources added.The government hasn't yet released a statement with reasons for its decision to snap Internet services again, but this provocation could be the reason for the state government's decision to again ban 2G, 3G and 4G internet services.On April 26, the Mehbooba Mufti government banned 22 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. 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, Musa succeeded him as the 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" and not "Islamic".It was after that Ahmad was named Wani's successor.