Srinagar: Thousands of people on Friday participated in the funeral prayers of Lashkar-e-Toiba militant, who was killed in a fierce gunfight with government forces at Kakpora area of Pulwama in south Kashmir last evening.
Witnesses told GNS that people in huge numbers converged at the house of Talib Hussain Shah Son of Shams-ud-Din Shah soon after his body arrived in his native Naman Kakapora village today morning. While men were seen chanting pro-freedom slogans, the women folk were beating their chests to mourn Talib’s death.
“The number of mourners swelled to thousands as his body was taken in a procession that passed through different villages before he was laid to rest amidst vociferous sloganeering,” witnesses said, adding that , thousands of people from Samboora, Hatwara, Newa, Marwel, Lilhar, Karemabad and other adjoining villages attend the Talib’s funeral.
Meanwhile, witnesses told GNS that scores of people, mostly boys clashed with the CRPF troopers and the police at Kakpora, after offering his congregational prayers of the slain Lashar commander.
Chanting pro-freedom, pro-militants and anti-India slogans, the protesters pelted heavily the government forces with rocks, witnesses said.
“The forces used pellet guns after they failed to break up the demonstration with teargas canisters. The protesters, however, regrouped and continued hurled stones on the forces,” witnesses said.
During the clashes that broke out since today morning and continued intermittently throughout the day, resulting in injuries to at least twenty persons including eight cops, official sources told GNS.
The injured have been identified as Arbaz Ameen Khan son of Mohd Ameen Khan of Singo Narbal (Severe Eye injury), Irshad Ahmed Dar son of Abdul Rasheed Dar of Galbugh Kakapora, Masood Ahmed Bhat son of Sanaullah Bhat of Begumbagh, Zahid Ahmed Dar son of Gulam Ahmed Dar of Samboora, Sabzar Ahmed Bhat son of Ghulam Mohammad Bhat of Tral, Firdous Ahmed Bhat son of Ghulam Mohammad Bhat of Kareemabad, Nisar Ahmed Sheikh son of Ghulam Mohd Sheikh of Kisargam and Fayaz Ahmed Bhat son of Abdul Ahad Dar of Samboora.
All the injured have received pellet gunfire injuries and tear smoke shells and have been shifted to SMHS hospital here in Srinagar, they said.
Meanwhile, additional reinforcements have been rushed to the area to contain the spiraling protests, they said.
Pertinently, Army’s 50 RR, 55 RR, SOG Pulwama and CRPF 182, 183 bn had cordoned off the Astan Mohalla area in Kakpora following specific inputs about the presence of militants. As soon the joint team of forces had intensified the searches, the militants tried to break the cordoned and opened heavy fire on them.
In the initial exchange of gunfire, Talib got killed while as two more militants managed to flee who were later again intercepted in the nearby area, a police official said.
He said that the gunfight continues intermittently till late in the night and the houses from which the militants were taken positions were razed to rubble. Today morning after conducting searches, no other body was recovered. (GNS)