Amid pro-freedom slogans, thousands of people participated in the funeral prayers of two slain militants in Kulgam and Anantnag districts of south Kashmir on Friday.The bodies of Zahid Rashid Bhat son of Abdul Rashid Bhat of Braihad, Katapora, Yaripora in Kulgam and Nissar Ahmad Bhat son of Ghulam Rasool Bhat of Krad Shangus, Anantnag were exhumed from the Machil sector in north Kashmir's Kupwara district on Thursday late evening and handed over to their respective families.An official of the district administration told GNS that the permission for exhumation of the bodies was granted yesterday after their DNA samples matched with their kin.The bodies were later handed over to the next of their kin after exhumation, he said.The exhumation followed submission of applications by the families before the district magistrate Kupwara after they saw pictures of their kin through social media and later at concerned police station.
The families also provided DNA samples as part of procedure for establishing identity.As the bodies of the slain were taken to the respective graveyards, people from the neighbouring areas reached the respective villages at Braihad, Katpora,Yaripora and Krad, Shangus where they participated in the funeral prayers of the duo.Both the militants were later laid to rest amid pro-independence and anti-government slogans.Army had on June 6 claimed to foil an infiltration bid by killing three “unidentified militants” in Machhil sector.Meanwhile, a complete shutdow is being in Kashmir Valley to commemorate the martyrs of July 13, 1931.The joint resistance leadership (JRL) comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik had called for Mazar-e-Shuhada Naqshband Sahib (RA) Chalo on July 13 (today) to commemorate the martyrs of July 13, 1931.Shops and other business establishments remained closed in parts of Kashmir while public transport is off the roads. (GNS)