Srinagar
A day after militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen claimed that five militants killed in Sumlar Bandipora encounter were locals, two families from south Kashmir districts of Shopian and Kulgam arrived in Bandipora with the claim that their sons are among the five militants killed in the recent gunfight.
Hizb Operational Spokesperson Burhanuddin had told news agency CNS that those killed in the gunfight were locals. “It was a group comprising five members who got trapped in Sumlar area and were killed in the gunfight,” Burhanuddin said.
According to him, those killed in Sumlar gunfight were Hyder Ali from Brazul Kulgam, Muhammad Umar from Shopian, Muhammad Sidiq from Bandipora, Mawiya from Kangan and Usman from Lolab.
Earlier, authorities had said that the slain were foreigners. Reports said that families from Kulgam and Shopian amid shutdown arrived in Bandipora and met District Development Commissioner Bandipora who directed them to meet Deputy Commissioner Baramulla as the slain militants have been laid to rest there.
Meanwhile, a family from Kangan area of Ganderbal district in Central Kashmir claimed that one of the militants Parvez Ahmed Tedwa alias Abu Mawiya killed in Sumlar Bandipora gunfight was their kin. Reports said that the family approached police station Kangan who advised them to meet SSP Bandipora.
One of the family members of the slain militant told news agency that Parvez Ahmed alias Abu Mawiya was missing since 2003, and on the photographic evidence, they came to know about his killing. (CNS)
