Srinagar
Two among the five alleged infiltrators killed in Tangdar sector last month were identified on Sunday by their respective families from Kulgam and Pulwama in south Kashmir respectively.
Official sources told GNS that the two youths namely Sheeraz Ahmad Sheikh of Lajoora Pulwama and Mudasir Ahmad of Parigam Kulgam had gone missing.
Sheeraz according to sources was missing since September 2017 while as Mudasir is missing since July 2016.
The families said that they identified their kin through photographs shared by some locals on social media and demanded body for proper burial.
“Today the families of both the youths while seeing their photographs identified by them,” sources said.
Soon after the news spread regarding the two youths being among the slain militants killed in Tangdar, a group of youth took to streets in Pulwama and started pelting stones on forces resulting in the clashes.
The police and paramilitary CRPF used tear smoke shells to disperse them.
Reports of protests were also received from Parigam area of Kulgam against the killing.
When reports last came, the stone pelting clashes were going on in Pulwama.
Meanwhile, police sources said that two police officers from the twin districts were immediately rushed to Kupwara for further necessary action.
Sources said that the bodies which have been buried during midnight on May 27 Badwan in frontier Tanghdar sector are likely to be exhumed in a day or two for DNA tests.
When contacted Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shopian Ambarkar Shriram Dinkar told GNS that one family from Kulgam has approached the police so far and we are going to do DNA matching of slain militant with his family after getting proper permission from the concerned authority.
The encounter broke out after the soldiers of 20 JAT intercepted a group of infiltrators near eagle post on May 25.
Addressing a press conference, Brigadier PK Mishra, Commander Tanghdar Brigade also had claimed that 5 militants have been eliminated.
“We had credible intelligence inputs that there is likely to be an infiltration in the sector because of which we had placed a number of interception groups to trap these militants,” Mishra had said.
On the night of 25 and 26th May, Mishra had said these militants walked into this side where the ambush was placed and they were killed.
“The troops on the ground have succeeded in foiling the infiltration bid of a group of militants which were very heavily armed. They had modern weaponry, modern equipment. They were carrying under barrel grenade launchers and we succeeded in eliminating them without any casualties to our troops which is indeed credible,” he had said.
He also claimed recovery of huge quantity of arms, ammunition, food items and other equipment from the possession of the slain militants.
The recovery, Mishra said, include five 7.62 mm AK-47 rifles, one pistol with magazine, eight rounds, carts 7.62 mm AK-47 (546), one UBGL, six grenade UBGL, nine hand grenades and other equipment including medicine and food items.
“The recoveries are indicative of actively aiding and abetting of this kind of a movement by Pakistan because you see a lot of food items equipment with Pakistan markings on them,” Mishra had said. (GNS)
