Pulwama shuts demanding body of militant killed in Bandipora encounter last month

Srinagar: Pulwama district in southern Kashmir is observing a complete shutdown on Friday demanding body of a militant killed last month in a gunfight in northern Kashmir’s Bandipora district.

Family of Abdul Rashid has claimed that one among the killed militants was their son and has been demanding the body since September 21, when the encounter took place in Sumlar area of district Bandipora.

All shops and business establishments are closed in the district while public transport is mostly off the roads

Pertinently, on September 21, 5 five militants were killed in Sumlar village of Bandipora district in northern Kashmir.

Days after the encounter, the bodies of the militants were claimed by two families each from Kupwara and Pulwama, and one each from Shopian, Kulgam and Kangan. The body of one of the militants identified as Parvaiz alias Maviya was claimed by two families, from Kagan and Pulwama.

The police had claimed that the killed militants were foreigners. The slain were buried in Uri in Baramulla.

On September 28, Jammu and Kashmir Police collected DNA samples of the families.

“DNA samples will be sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory on Friday. The samples of the five militants are already with the institute,” a police official had said.

The bodies of the militants will be handed over to their families only after the police receive the laboratory reports on both sets of the DNA samples, said Azad.

The five suspected militants were killed in a two-day encounter, which started on September 20 when the Army, the state police, and the Central Reserve Police Force carried out a cordon and search operation at Shukbaba.

The police, who were able to retrieve their bodies, denied reports that local militants were killed in the operation and buried in Uri. However, the Hizbul Mujahideen later issued a statement claiming that those killed in the encounter were local militants. They were identified as Hyder Ali from Brazul Kulgam, Muhammad Umar from Shopian, Mohammad Siddiq from Bandipora, Maviya from Kangan, and Usman from Lolab.

After the statement, seven families came forward to claim the bodies.

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