Militants Killed in Awantipora Quietly Buried in Sonamarg

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Srinagar: Police on Saturday said three persons, including two militants were killed in an encounter with the government forces in Goripora area of Awantipora in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.

According to the Inspector General of Police, Kashmir Vijay Kumar two militants and their “hardcore associate” were killed in the gunfight.

He however said the identity of the slain militants was yet to be ascertained.

The encounter had ensued after joint team of army’s 50 RR, SOG and CRPF launched a cordon-and-search operation in Goripora in the early hours of Saturday amid specific information about the presence of some militants there.

All the three were quietly buried at Sonmarg in Ganderbal district by the police as per new norm to prevent large funerals for slain militants.

A police officer said that in order to ensure health and security of the people during pandemic period, the administration has decided to conduct burial of militants at isolated places.

“Allowing funerals at the native places of killed militants would lead to the breakdown of the strict protocols of lockdown thereby endangering the health and well-being of the community at large,” he added.

The administration have been following a proper procedure for such burials such as conducting of postmortem and taking DNA samples of the deceased prior to their burial in accordance with the religious customs.

Families who identify and claim the bodies of the slain militants are being provided passes by concerned DCs in order to facilitate their presence at the last rites in the presence of magistrates.

The procedure was followed at Ganderbal where the respective families participated in the last rites of three killed militants, according to a local news agency GNS.

With the fresh killings, the number of militants killed in April this year alone has gone up to 22 and the overall count in 2020 to 54.

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