Arwani gunfight: Anguish, grief as slain militants laid to rest

A 20-year-old youth Sahir Makroo, who had joined militancy two years ago, was laid to rest at a martyrs’ graveyard in Arwani village in southern Anantnag district on Friday, amid pro-freedom and pro-Islam slogans.

Sahir abandoned studies two years ago when he was a class 12 student to take up arms. However, his stint with the gun ended yesterday when he died in a gun-battle with forces in his native village. Three of his associates were also killed in the encounter.

As the word about Sahir’s death spread late Thursday evening, locals thronged his house in large numbers, while ‘azadi taranas’—played from mosque loudspeakers—kept everyone around awake.

The anguish of losing another bright young man was so deep among the mourners that they stood by the bereaved family throughout the night, and beyond.

Sahir, according to Arwani residents, was a lone son of his parents.

Late in the night, the locals said, the police handed over his body to the family for the last rites. And with first rays of sun touching the village Friday, mourners from adjoining villages trooped into Arwani to catch a glimpse of Sahir. The funeral went on for many hours as several rounds of prayers were held for the slain militant in the lawns of a local private school.

The villagers laid to rest two young souls this week, one after the other.

On Sunday, Sahir’s close friend Yazil Makroo, affiliated with militant outfit Jaish-e-Muhammad, was killed in a gunfight at Laroo village in Kulgam. Sahir, according to locals, offered a gun salute at the funeral of his friend.

“He (Sahir) again turned up several times near his friend’s grave and offered a gun salute after he was laid to rest,” said a local resident, who wished not to be named.

Both Sahir and Yazil have grown up together and the former looked visibly dejected after the loss of his friend, the resident said.  “They lived together and died together too.”

The village with around 2000 households has suffered a lot in the past 30 years of armed conflict.

“We have lost the count of number of funerals held in this school in the past 30 years,” said Ghulam Qadir, an elderly resident, who was part of Sahir’s funeral. “Every family has a martyr here.”

The slain, Qadir said, includes both armed and unarmed villagers.

“You can count the number of graves. It is more than 100. Even foreign militants are buried here,” said another elderly resident, Abdus Salam, pointing towards the big martyrs’ graveyard.

He said many youth from this village died at the Line of Control while several others were subjected to enforced disappearance.

Two brothers, both militants and their father, are also buried side-by-side here.

“While the elder brother Muhammad Ismail Malik was killed in late nineties, his younger brother Abdul Haq Malik, a teacher by profession, died in an encounter in Shopian in 2014. Haq’s charred body, recovered from the debris of a house, was laid to rest here,” recalled Salam, pointing towards the epitaphs on their graves.

He said the father of Ismail and Haq died of cardiac arrest when he was on the run after being hounded by government gunmen (Ikhwanis).

THOUSANDS JOIN LONE’S FUNERAL

Meanwhile, thousands of people turned up at the funeral of Owais Ahmad Lone at Hawoora-Mishpora area in Kulgam district on Friday.

Lone, also a higher secondary school pass out, had joined Hizbul Mujahideen last year.

Amid pro-Islam, pro-freedom and pro-Pakistan slogans, three rounds of funeral prayers were held for Lone after which he was laid to rest.

At least three rounds of funeral prayers were also held for Muzamil Magray of Watoo Aharbal and Amir Tantray of Noorbad area in Damal Hanjipora.

Both of them were college graduates and had joined Hizbul Mujahideen last year.

The Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman Syed Ali Geelani addressed the mourners telephonically.

PROTESTS, CLASHES

Meanwhile, several people were injured, two of them with bullets, in clashes at Redwani and DH Pora areas of Kulgam.

As the funeral prayers concluded at Hawoora, people took to streets in nearby Redwani village and resorted to stone-pelting on a newly-established army camp. The forces there lobbed teargas shells and fired live ammunition at the protesters.

“Two youth sustained bullet injuries in the clashes,” local residents said.

One of the youths Faizan Rasheed Sheikh of Rampora village in Qaimoh, with a bullet injury in his leg, was being treated at sub-district hospital Bijbehara while another youth Aabid Rasool of Wanpora was shifted to Srinagar’s Bone and Joints hospital.

Several people suffered injuries after being hit by metallic pellets but they were treated locally.

Clashes also erupted at Waripora village in DH Pora where few people sustained minor injuries and were treated at local sub-district hospital.

A complete shutdown was observed in twin districts of Kulgam and Anantnag for the sixth running day.

30 MOURNERS INJURED IN ROAD ACCIDENT

Meanwhile, at least 30 mourners were injured in a road accident after a funeral at DH Pora.

As the mourners traveling in a load carrier were returning from the funeral of one of the militants from Watoo Aharbal, the vehicle turned turtle near Koreal village.

30 people on board the vehicle sustained injuries, an official said.

“We received 30 people who were injured in an accident and they are being treated here,” medical superintendent district hospital Kulgam told Greater Kashmir.