SRINAGAR: A PhD professor associated with the University of Kashmir wasamong those martyred by the Indian forces in recent clashes between thefreedom fighters and security personnel.

Mohammed Rafi Bhat, a PhD scholar in his discipline, was on contract withthe Kashmir University’s Sociology department as assistant professor. Hehad left the varsity premises on Friday and had been missing since then.

A statement by the University of Kashmir on Saturday said the sociologyteacher, Mohammed Rafi Bhat, had been missing since Friday.

He was reportedly martyred by the Indian security personnel at the Badgamarea of Shopian, nearly 80km from his house.

Indian Forces marryred five freedom fighters Sunday in Indian-held Kashmir,police said, while the second day of anti-India protests and clashes leftfive civilians dead and dozens of people injured in the disputed region.

Hundreds of villagers threw rocks at Indian troops in a bid to help rebelswho were trapped in a house in southern Shopian area, police said.Counterinsurgency officers and soldiers cordoned the village followingintelligence that a group of freedom fighters was hiding there, police said.

After several hours of fighting, five freedom fighters were martyred and apoliceman and a soldier wounded, said S.P. Vaid, police director-general.

Vaid, a police director-general, revealed that the Indian forces “had madeevery effort so that they surrender” and had “even brought the universityteacher’s father all the way to Shopian”.

Anticipating protests, the University of Kashmir on Sunday issued astatement saying the classes would remain suspended for the next two days“as a precautionary measure.”

*‘I AM SORRY IF I HURT YOU’:*

Funeral prayers held for Professor at Kashmir University

He was sorry if he had hurt his parents, the son told his father on thephone.

It was the first call of the day that Fayaz Ahmed Bhat received from hissociologist son — and the last ever.

Bhat was still bleary-eyed at his residence in Chundana in Ganderbal whenhis mobile phone rang early this morning, he told the police later.

It was his son Mohammed Rafi Bhat. calling to bid farewell.

“I am sorry if I have hurt you,” Rafi told his father before he was gunneddown in an encounter with security forces at Shopian in South kashmir onSunday.

Later on, funeral prayers in absentia were offered at Kashmir Universitycampus by students for their professor, who was killed in Shopian gunfightafter reportedly joining militancy a day before on Sunday. Reports saidmale as well as female students came out of their hostel blocks and marchedthrough the campus chanting ‘Aazadi’ slogans. A funeral was offered on thecampus by a large gathering.

Indian media reported that two of Bhat’s first cousins were also involvedin the Kashmir freedom struggle and had died in the early 1990s. – Agencies