35-year-old killed by militants at Hajin

SRINAGAR : In the fifth civilian death in past two months, a 35-year-old man was killed by armed men at Hajin in North Kashmir’s Bandipora district on Friday morning.

Police have blamed Lashkare-Taiba operatives, including local militant Saleem Parrey, for the incident.

Police said victim’s body, who was identified as Mohd Yaqoob Wagay, was found with his throat slit near his residence in Gund Preng village, 5km from Hajin town. He was a butcher by profession and had a small shop in vicinity of the village.

Relatives of Wagay said that around 12am, three to four masked men forcibly entered his house, overpowered him and bludgeoned him to death inside the room. The militants later escaped from the spot. Family members called the police and took body in its custody.

“They were three to four masked men, who forcibly entered into the house and hacked him to death in his room. At the time of incident, his wife and his eight-year-old son were present inside the house,’’ said one of his relatives.

Superintendent of police, Bandipora, Zulfkar Azad said three to four militants went inside Wagay’s house and killed him with a sharp-edged weapon. “The killing was carried out by Lashkar-e-Taiba militants.’’

Wagay’s body was buried at a local graveyard in the afternoon. Wagay’s killing is the fifth civilian killing in Hajin town and its adjoining localities since April 6. The spree of civilian killings which police blame on the militants of Lashkar-eTaiba has spread panic among the locals. Police said local militant Saleem Parray is a mastermind behind these killings.

ANOTHER YOUTH JOINS MILITANCY

A youth who had gone missing last week, has joined militancy. On Thursday night, pictures of Nisar Ahmad Dar, 25, carrying AK-47 rifles went viral on social media.

Dar was detained by police for taking part in stonepelting. Dar’s family members had lodged missing report in the police station.

ON INTERVENING NIGHT OF THURSDAY AND FRIDAY, THREE TO FOUR MASKED MEN FORCIBLY ENTERED HIS HOUSE, OVERPOWERED HIM AND BLUDGEONED HIM TO DEATH