Baramulla: Thousands of people of Wagoora and its adjacent areas on Sunday attended the funeral prayers of local militant who according to police was killed in a brief gunfight with joint team of SOG, army and CRPF in Buddgm. The slain Shafat Hussain Wani was laid to rest amid pro-freedom sloganeering at his ancestral grave yard in Wagoora.
Soon after the news about Wani’s killing early Sunday morning, people started visiting his home. By the time his body arrived, thousands of people had already assembled and later offered funeral prayers and took the body in procession towards the graveyard. They were shouting pro-freedom slogans and some of them were seen waving Pakistani flags. Wani’s body was also wrapped in the green flag.
Police and CRPF personnel were deployed in strength in an around Wagoora area to prevent any untoward incident. Meanwhile, authorities suspended internet services in parts of Baramulla soon after news about Wani’s killing spread.
Police said Wani belonged to Lashker-e-Toiba(LeT) and was affiliated with it since April last year. Besides arms and ammunition, police claimed recovery of mobile phones, Rs 30000 in cash from the slain militant.
A police spokesman said that acting on specific input regarding presence of militants, police, army’s 53 RR and CRPF launched a cordon and search operation in Khan Mohalla, Arizal in Beerwah.
“During search, militants tried to flee and came out of house and fired indiscriminately on Forces. In retaliation one unknown (militant) was killed” the spokesman said.
“In the incident one lady received injury in thigh while the hiding (militant) was trying to escape while firing indiscriminately. She has been promptly evacuated to hospital by the police for medical treatment and her condition is now reported to be stable,” the police spokesman said. Local sources identified the injured as 17-year-old Humaira daughter of Mohammed Maqbool Khan.
