Army officer found dead in J&K
Jammu and Kashmir police said Umar Fayyaz, a Lieutenant rank Army officer, was kidnapped by terrorists when he went to attend a family function in south Kashmir's Kulgam district.
10 May 2017 5:09 AM GMT
A young army officer was kidnapped in Kashmir by terrorists from a wedding last night and shot dead.The bullet-riddled body of an army officer was found on Wednesday morning in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district, police said.
The body was identified to be of an Army Lieutenant Umar Fayaz.
The officer was on leave and had gone for his cousin's wedding at Kulgaon in south Kashmir when he was kidnapped around 10 pm.
"The officer had been kidnapped by militants late on Tuesday evening from Kulgam town where he had gone to attend a family function," a police officer said.
According to sources, the killing marks a worrying trend of terrorists targeting army officers even when they are off duty.
An advisory was earlier issued by the state police asking its personnel not to visit ancestral homes, especially in south Kashmir areas till it was withdrawn.
There has been a spike in militant activities in most districts of south Kashmir including, Pulwama, Shopian, Anantnag and Kulgam.
Last Thursday, security forces carried out a huge anti-terror operation, monitored from air by helicopters and unmanned vehicles, across two dozen villages in Shopian. During the final hours of the operation, a sudden strike by terrorists killed one civilian and injured two soldiers. Even on that day, the forces encountered resistance from locals in at least four villages.
Two days later, a policeman, Azhar Mehmood, was killed in Anantnag along with three civilians by Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Fayaz Ahmad Aishwar.
Azhar Mehmood was attacked while he and other policemen were regulating traffic after a road accident.
In another incident last week, terrorists killed five policemen and two private guards in Kulgam after dragging them out of a cash van.
Defence Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday termed the killing of a Kashmiri Army officer by militants in Shopian district as a "dastardly act of cowardice" and said, "his sacrifice" reiterates the nation's commitment to eliminate terrorism.
"Abduction and murder of Lieutenant Ummer Fayaz by terrorists in Shopian is a dastardly act of cowardice. This young officer from Jammu and Kashmir was a role model," Jaitley said in a tweet.
"Lt Ummer Fayaz of 2RAJRIF (Rajputana Rifles) was an exceptional sportsman, his sacrifice reiterates the nation's commitment to eliminate terrorism from the Valley," he said.
"We share the grief of the family of Lt Ummer Fayaz and stand in solidarity. Lt Ummer Fayaz will continue to inspire youth from the Valley," the Minister added.
The bullet-riddled body of 22-year-old Fayaz was found early on Wednesday morning in Shopian district.
Fayaz was kidnapped by militants late on Tuesday evening from Kulgam town where he had gone to attend a marriage ceremony, the police said.
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