Thousands attended the funeral prayers of three students, who were killed by forces during clashes near encounter site at Badigam Shopian, in three separate villages of Pulwama on Sunday.
Large number of people turned up at Rahmoo village in Pulwama to participate in the funeral prayers of deceased student, Mohammad Asif Mir, 18, son of Ghulam Mohammad Mir.
Local residents said two rounds of funeral prayers were offered for the slain teen amidst pro-freedom and anti-India sloganeering.
Asif was 12th class student of Government Higher Secondary School Rahmoo and is survived by elder sister, two brothers besides his parents.
Local residents said Asif, son of a farmer, left his home early morning on a motorbike after taking a bath and spraying perfume on his clothes.
Later, residents of the area learnt that he was critically injured during clashes near site of encounter in Badigam village of Shopian.
Asif had a firearm injury in head and was shifted to a local hospital where from he was referred to SMHS hospital in Srinagar, where he succumbed.
He was buried in village graveyard at Rahmoo at around 3:30 pm.
In neighbouring Ayangund village, which is around 7 kilometres from Rahmoo, thousands of people swelled from adjacent villages to take part in the funeral prayers of Zubair Ahmad Negroo, 17, son of Abdul Rajab Negroo.
Five back-to-back funeral prayers were offered for Zubair at Ayangund amidst pro-freedom and anti-India sloganeering.
Zubair was hit by bullets in chest and shifted to District Dospital Shopian where doctors declared him brought dead.
“He was dead on arrival,” a doctor of DH Shopian said.
Locals said Zubair was 11th class student of Higher Secondary School, Rajpora. He is survived by two elder brothers and parents.
In another Pulwama village of Arihal, thousands of people had assembled at Hargam locality after news about death of Nisar Ahmad Kumar, 15, son of Ghulam Mohammad Kumar, reached the area.
Villagers from adjoining areas of Dangerpora, Peer-pora, Nikas, Gabbarpora, Aatigam, Jandiwal, Drach, Utmullah and Haal were seen marching in droves to Arihal to have last glimpse of slain teen and participate in his funeral prayers.
Three rounds of funeral prayers were held for the slain student amidst chanting of pro-freedom, pro-Islamic and anti-India slogans.
Nisar had sustained bullet injury in stomach during clashes near encounter site at Badigam Shopian. He was shifted to SMHS Srinagar where he succumbed.
Nisar, a 9th class student of Government Higher Secondary School Arihal, was youngest among two of his siblings.
Nisar was the second teen from Arihal village killed in forces firing during clashes near sites of gunfight in last week.
On May 31, Shahid Afridi Dar died in forces firing on protestors near site of encounter at Drabgam village in Pulwama.
Slain Hizbul Mujahideen commander Saddam Paddar’s mother fires gunshot in air using police deserter Syed Naveed’s rifle in Heff, where bodies of her son and Bilal Moulvi were kept as people were still thronging the area.
The locals said Syed Naveed Mushtaq, a policeman who had decamped with four Self Loading Rifles while being on guard duty outside Food Corporation of India facility at Chandpora in Budgam district, was among the militants who visited the Heff area to pay their homage to Paddar and other militants killed in today’s gunfight in Shopian.
They said Saddam’s mother pressed trigger of the gun held by Naveed and fired some rounds in the air in the evening.
Earlier, during the day militants fired several rounds in air to pay their respects to the slain militants.
A local said thousands are still sitting in open in the area and chanting pro-freedom, pro-militant and anti-India slogans.
He said people from Srinagar, Budgam, Anantnag and other places have reached the area to pay homage to Paddar and his associates.
Saddam Paddar, who had gone been active since 2014, was a 10th class drop out and close aide of slain Hizb commander Burhan Wani.
He hails from a well to do family, who own several acres of orchards. He left behind a brother, two sisters and parents.
Saddam and Molvi Bilal both hailed from Heff Shopian and their bodies would be buried tomorrow.
Another militant killed in today’s gunfight, Aadil Malik was buried after six back to back funeral prayers at his native place Malikgund Shopian.
He had joined militant ranks in 2015.
