Srinagar

Thousands of people on Thursday participated in the funeral prayers of two slain Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.

An eye witness said that thousands of people including women and children from Zaingeer belt of Sopore and other adjoining localities participated in the funeral prayers of Owais Ahmad Bhat 24, and Tahir Ramzan Dar 22, who were killed in an overnight gunfight with the forces in Brath Kalan area of north Kashmir’s Sopore.

Thousands of people participated in funeral prayers of slain militants in Sopore town of Baramulla on Thursday, December 13, 2018. Pic: Mohammad Younis

The eye witness said that thousand people poured onto streets as the bodies of the duo were lifted, the scenes were poignant amid the chanting of pro-freedom slogans, hailing the “martyrs.” An eyewitness said that scores of men and women wept bitterly as the bodies were being carried towards its final resting place.

Slian militant Owais an ITI student was resident of  Brath village. He has been active since October 2018. Reports said he had joined militants after killing of local militant Minhaaz. He is survived by his parents, three brothers, and two sisters.

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Tahir Ramzan another militant who was killed in the encounter was resident of Saidpora. He had been with militants for almost a month. He is survived by his parents, two brothers, and three sisters.

Meanwhile, the complete shutdown was observed in north Kashmir’s Sopore town to mourn the militant killings.

Police Version

Police issued a statement on the operation and about the militants who were killed in the gun battle. It is being reproduced here:

“Based on a credible input about the presence of terrorists in Brath Kalan area of Sopore, a search operation was launched by Police and security forces jointly in the area yesterday evening.

As the searches were going on, the search party was fired upon by the hiding terrorists. The fire was retaliated leading to a gunfight.

A boy wailing during the funeral of slain militant in Sopore on December 13, 2018. Pic: Junaid Bhat

In the ensuing encounter, two terrorists were neutralized and the bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter.

It is further informed that the killed terrorists have been identified as Owais Ahmad Bhat alias Abu Bakar son of Ghulam Ahmad Bhat resident of Gund Brath Sopore and Tahir Ahmad Dar alias Abu Abdullah son of Mohammad Ramzan Dar resident of Saidpora Sopore. Both were affiliated with proscribed terror outfit LeT.

Both the terrorists were wanted by the law for their complicity in a series of terror crimes including the attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities.

The huge quantity of arms & ammunition including rifles were recovered from the site of encounter. All these materials have been taken in the case records for further investigation and probe their complicity in other terror cases.

Citizens are requested not to venture inside the encounter zone since such an area can prove dangerous due to stray explosive materials. People are requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitized and cleared of all the explosives materials if any.”

(Mohammad Younis contributed to the story)

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