SRINAGAR: Police resorted to aerial firing and fired tear-smoke shells to disperse the procession carrying the bullet-ridden body of a youth who the Police described as a militant from Shangus area of South Kashmirs Kulgam district on Friday.
Police reports said a bullet-ridden body was recovered from a paddy field in Chenigam Frisal area of South Kashmirs Kulgam district on Friday. ” He is Zakir Bhat from Shangus and he had joined militant ranks three months ago,” said a police source.
Quoting Police sources a CNS report said that Zakir Ahmed Bhat son of Muhammad Sayed Bhat resident of Sangus Kulgam had joined militant outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba in April this year. Police has attributed his killing to the alleged infighting within militant ranks.
Eyewitnesses said that as soon as the body of Zakir Bhat reached at his native village from Yaripora police station, hundreds of people took to streets and clashed with police. Amid pro-freedom slogans, the protestors demanded a thorough probe into the killing of the youth.
Reports said some protestors resorted to stone-pelting and allegedly tried to attack the police post. The police personnel that had been already deployed in strength fired several shots in air and resorted to tear-gas shelling that created panic in the area. The clashes between protestors and police continued for hours.
Hundreds of people amid pro-freedom slogans participated in the funeral prayers of the slain youth.
Quoting Zakir’s brother Arshid Ahmad, CNS reported that Zakir was missing for past three months. We had confirmed from our sources that he had joined a group of Lashkar-e-Toiba. Today we came to know that his bullet-ridden body had been found in a paddy field. We cant say with accuracy who killed Zakir, Arshid said.
Kulgam town observed a complete shutdown against the killing. All the shops and business establishments remained closed while transport was off the roads.
Meanwhile the Kulgam Police Friday claimed that government forces in a joint operation apprehended a Pakistani militant, who was active for past two years in Kashmir Valley and was allegedly involved in different militancy related incidents in South Kahsmir.
Deputy Inspector General of Police South Kashmir Range Vijay Kumar, according to reports did not disclose the location where from the foreign militant Muhammad Naveed Jat alias Chhotu, alias Abu Hanzalla, of Boriwal Sahiwal, Multan Pakistan was arrested, however, the 17-year-old militant, handcuffed and surrounded by Army and Police personnel was produced before the media at 62 RR camp in Behibagh area of South Kashmirs Kulgam district.
Addressing reporters there, Kumar said that Naveed was a Lashkar-e-Toiba militant who was operating as District Commander for past two years. The Special Operations Group of Kulgam District Police with the units from Rashtriya Rifles 62 battalion and Central Reserve Police 18 battalion arrested Naveed. We also recovered an AK-47 rifle and 2 magazine from him. During interrogation he provided some useful information, Kumar said.
He said that Naveed was behind the different attacks carried by militants in Shopian and Pulwama districts. This militant was responsible for carrying attack on police party near Court Complex Pulwama in which two police personnel lost their lives. He also confessed that he along with his local associates carried an attack on police party in Shopain in which five policemen were injured. Besides, he is involved in different small incidents. He confessed during sustained interrogation that he threatened scores of village heads before the Parliament elections, Vijay Kumar said adding that the said militant lied during interrogation that there are only 3 Pakistani militants present in South Kashmir.
We have inputs that there are still five to seven Pakistani militants active in South Kashmir, he said.
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