The police on Friday released the pictures of three local militants, who belong to the Hizbul Mujahideen and were involved in the abduction and killing of Army officer Lt. Ummer Fayaz on Tuesday.
The posters pasted in Shopian district, where the killing took place, identified the militants as Ishafaq Thokar, Gayas-ul-Islam, both residents of Padderpora, and Abbas Bhat, a resident of Mantribugh. All the militants, who belong to the Hizb, are active in the district.
“Any person providing information on the criminals will be suitably rewarded and his identity will be kept secret,” reads the poster issued by the Shopian police.
Bhat, who apparently led the group, was held in 2011 on the charge of murdering a local doctor and was released on bail last year in April. He knew the Army officer for quite some time, reveal the police investigation.
The police have registered a case in the Army officer’s killing under Sector 302 (murder) and 364 (kidnapping or abducting in order to murder) of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC).
Lt. Fayaz, a resident of Kulgam, was abducted on Tuesday night from a wedding function in adjacent Shopian district. On Wednesday morning, the body of the officer with bullet wounds was found by a road.
Facing rare public outrage, the United Jihad Council (UJC), a Pakistan-based conglomerate of militant outfits including the Hizbul Mujahideen, on Friday said that its militants were not involved in the killing.
Parts of Kashmir Valley remained tense on Friday as sporadic protests erupted. A spontaneous shutdown was also observed in Pulwam and Shopian. Traders in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district called a two-day shutdown. They alleged the security forces vandalised their merchandise during the student protests recently. All shops and business centres remained closed due to the shutdown call.
A shutdown was also observed in Shopian against the ‘disappearance’ of a local youth, Zubair Ahmad Turray. However, the police said Turray escaped from the police station in Keegam on May 1. He had been arrested in 2015 on stone-pelting charges and slapped with the Public Safety Act (PSA).
Meanwhile, protesters hurled stones at security forces after Friday prayers at Srinagar’s Nowhatta, Baramulla’s Sopore, Bandipora’s Hajin and Shopian town. Security forces used tear-smoke shells to contain the situation.
BSF jawan injured
One Border Security Force (BSF) jawan was injured as Pakistani troops violated ceasefire again and fired on BSF personnel on the International Border (IB) in Jammu’s Arnia sector on Friday morning.
On Wednesday night, one woman was killed and two civilians injured in Pakistan firing in Rajouri district.
