Srinagar: Thousands of people Tuesday participated in the last rites of Hizb ul Mujahideen militant killed in a gunfight with government forces in Ratnipora village of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.

Reports said that as the body of Hilal Ahmad Rather reached his native village of Begumbagh thousands of mourners assembled to participate in his funeral prayers.

Rather was killed in a gunfight with government forces early today. The gunfight also left an army personnel killed and another wounded.