BARAMULLA – Thousands of people of Wagoora and its adjacent areas on Sundayattended the funeral prayers of local militant who was martyred in a briefgunfight with joint team of SOG, army and CRPF in Buddgm, Police Said.

The martyred Shafat Hussain Wani was laid to rest amid pro-freedomsloganeering at his ancestral grave yard in Wagoora.

Soon after the news about Wani’s killing early Sunday morning, peoplestarted visiting his home. By the time his body arrived, thousands ofpeople had already assembled and later offered funeral prayers and took thebody in procession towards the graveyard.

They were shouting pro-freedom slogans and some of them were seen wavingPakistani flags. Wani’s body was also wrapped in the green flag.

Police and CRPF personnel were deployed in strength in an around Wagooraarea to prevent any untoward incident. Meanwhile, authorities suspendedinternet services in parts of Baramulla soon after news about Wani’skilling spread.

Police said Wani belonged to Lashker-e-Toiba(LeT) and was affiliated withit since April last year. Besides arms and ammunition, police claimedrecovery of mobile phones, Rs 30000 in cash from the slain militant.

A police spokesman said that acting on specific input regarding presence ofmilitants, police, army’s 53 RR and CRPF launched a cordon and searchoperation in Khan Mohalla, Arizal in Beerwah.

“During search, militants tried to flee and came out of house and firedindiscriminately on Forces. In retaliation one unknown (militant) waskilled” the spokesman said.

“In the incident one lady received injury in thigh while the hiding(militant) was trying to escape while firing indiscriminately. She has beenpromptly evacuated to hospital by the police for medical treatment and hercondition is now reported to be stable,” the police spokesman said. Localsources identified the injured as 17-year-old Humaira daughter of MohammedMaqbool Khan.

By: Junaid Bhatt from IOK