Thousands of people today turned up for the funeral prayers of Hizbul Mujahideen Commander Aqib Moulvi who was killed in a fierce gunfight along with his Pakistani associate at Hufu in southern Tral area of Pulwama district.In a gunbattle at Hufu, Aqib along with his Pakistani associate identified as Usama were killed with police and army on Sunday. One SOG man was killed while several other forces men including a Major were injured in the gunfight. One house was completely damaged in the firefight as forces used IEDs to blast it.Meanwhile, thousands of people including women attended the funeral procession of Aqib held at Hayina – his ancestral village in Tral. Witnesses said the people were shouting anti-India and pro-freedom slogans while they made a beeline to have last glimpses of the slain. Amid slogans of Islam and Azadi, the funeral of the slain militant was held multiple times due to space constraint, reports said.
Amid sobs and tears, the slain Aqib was laid to rest in local martyrs’ graveyard. A complete shutdown was observed in Tral and its adjoining areas to protest the killings of the militants.Reports said that the body of Pakistani militant was taken away by police and buried at Sheeri in Baramulla district.A police official said that the body of the Pakistani militant was laid to rest in Sheeri as part of the procedure adopted by the authorities not to handover the body to people of the area where the militant get killed. It is done, the official said, to avoid disturbance to ‘law and order’. Meanwhile in Shopian district, massive stone-throwing clashes erupted at Pinjoora after forces launched a search and cordon operation. The operation was launched after forces received inputs about the presence of some militants in Pinjoora. But people came out of their houses and pelted stones on search parties involved in counter insurgency operation.Reports said police used teargas against the protesters and during the clashes, several protesters sustained injuries. The stone-throwing according to the reports disrupted the operation against the militants and later it was called off as no militants were intercepted in the area. (GNS)