Thousands participate in funeral prayers of slain militants

Srinagar: Thousands of people on Saturday participated in funeral prayers of slain militants who were killed in an encounter at Gadhapora Shopian on Friday.
Eyewitness said at Harmain and Arhama, tens of thousands of people had gathered since wee hours of this morning and participated in last rites of slain militants.
People were chanting pro-freedom and pro-militant slogans, they said. Militants on Saturday offered gun salute at Arahama Shopian on the funeral of slain Yasir Ahmad shah.
Eyewitnesses said that a group of four Militants appeared at the funeral of slain Yasir Ahmad shah and fired many shots in air. Massive pro-freedom sloganeering were heard when militants were present on the spot, they said.
After firing, militants rushed from the spot, they added. Pertinently, Yasir Ahmad Shah of Arhama was killed along with his associate in Gadhapora area of Shopian on Friday. He had joined militant ranks just before few days. Showkat was ex SPO who decamped with the service rifle of his colleague from police station Shopian on August 25 last year. Belonging to a well-off family Showkat according to locals was very brilliant in his studies and had joined police department in 2016 agitation. Meanwhile, militants also offered gun salute at Harmain Shopian.
Eyewitness said a group of militants appeared at funeral of SPO-turned-militant Showkat Ahmad at Harmain and offered volley of shots in air.
Militants who were three to four in number after offering gun salute, rushed from the spot, they said, adding that massive pro-freedom slogans were chanted when militants were present at the spot. Meanwhile, thousands of people participated in his last rites.