Thousands attend slain militants’ funerals

Srinagar, Jan 4: Thousands of mourners on Friday participated in the funeral prayers of three militants killed in a day-long gunfight with the government forces in Tral area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Thursday, even as gun-salutes were offered to one of them by his associates.
Amid a complete shutdown, witnesses said that huge funerals were held for the slain militants at their native areas of Chursoo and Laribal.
“Four rounds of funeral prayers each were held for Touseef Ahmad Thoker and Zubair Ahmed Bhat at Chursoo, Awantipora. At Laribal in Tral, three rounds of funeral prayers were held for Shakoor Ahmad Parray. His associates offered him a gun salute twice,” reports quoting eyewitnesses said.
The three militants were killed in a gunfight that raged for the entire Thursday in Gulshanpora area of Tral. Three soldiers were also wounded, one of them critically, in the gunfight.
At least six civilians were injured in clashes with the forces soon after the gunfight broke out.