BASHARAT RASHID
TRAL : Aabid Maqbool Bhat, 19 year old young JeM militant, who was killed in an encounter at Lam-Gutengoo forests of Tral with government forces, along with other associates, was ‘engineering student’ in one of the polytechnic colleges in Srinagar city.
Son of police constable, Mohammad Maqbool Bhat, Aabid was born in well-off family at Khanagund area of Aripal in Tral, 11 kilometers from sub district headquarter, and is survived by 2 elder brothers and parents.
According to the locals, he was the sixth militant from his native village after 5 other militants, who were associated to different outfits were killed since decades in different encounters with security forces.
Aabid according to sources, had joined militancy one month back in March, when his picture suddenly gone viral on social networking sites along with some assault riffles.“ After that he didn’t return home.”
Two security personells were killed including an army man of 42 RR identified as Ajay Kumar, and SOG personnel namely Abdul Lateef Gojar of Kahlil Tral, when 4 militants of JeM including Aabid Maqbool, got trapped in a forest, trigged encounter, which lasted for full day on Tuesday, resulting the killings of all the militants.
Aabid’s friends remember him as a very gentle cricketer and well known fast bowler of the area, who besides playing cricket aspired to become an ‘engineer’ before joining militant outfit.
“Aabid was a keen cricketer, a fast bowler and hardworking student. He was offering prayers five times daily,” said his friends while talking to INS, who were the part of his funerals, adding that he was talking less, loving cricket more and was remaining out for playing cricket most of the times in a day.
On Wednesday, thousands of people participated in the last rites of deceased Aabid at his native village Khanagund village of Tral.
His funeral witnessed emotional scenes as youth particularly his friends and his relatives were seen crying loudly to mourn his death, and were chanting pro-freedom slogans.
After many rounds of funeral prayers, Aabid was finally laid to rest at his ancestral graveyard in Khanagund Tral.
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