Amid curfew thousands attend funeral prayers of slain Kupwara youth, LeT tributes slain youth

Kupwara: Amid curfew, thousands of people participated in the last rites of Kupwara youth in Thregam area of the district.While the militant outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) has paid tributes the slain militant, the authorities have said the restrictions in Trehgam and Kupwara will continue today.
Khalid Gaffar Malik (22), a shopkeeper was sitting at the shop front when the soldiers passing by fired live ammunition after they were pelted with stones by some youth in Trehgam yesterday amid a shutdown called by the Joint Resistance Leadership against civilian killings.
Reports said that amid restrictions and curfew thousands of people participated in the funeral procession of slain youth. The mourners chanted pro-freedom and anti India slogans. They waved green flags and denounce the killing of Khalid Gaffar whom they described as innocent. “Army soldiers went on rampage after a couple of youth pelted stones on them. They directly fired upon people and ransacked houses. The draconian AFSPA has encouraged them to the extent that they don’t hesitate to kill anyone who comes in their way,” said a youth who was part of funeral procession.
Eyewitnesses said that shortly after Khalid was laid to rest, agitated youth hit to roads and pelted stones on deployed forces. The Forces retaliated with tear-smoke shells. Many protesters were injured in the clashes.
An official said that curfew was imposed in Trehgam “as a precautionary measure” to maintain law and order. He said restrictions were imposed in other parts of the district.Internet service had also been snapped in Kupwara district and various parts of North Kashmir.
District Magistrate, Kupwara in order to avert any law and order situation in Kupwara town and Trehgam, has ordered that restrictions under Section144 of CrPC shall remain imposed in Kupwara and Trehgam today on 13th July, 2018 (Friday).
Meanwhile Militant outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba has claimed that the killing of a youth by Indian forces in Kupwara was a reaction to the killing of elite commandos by a handful of militant.
In a statement to local news gathering agency CNS,Mahmood Shah, the Chief of Lashkar-e-Taiba Jammu Kashmir strongly condemned the killing of Kupwara youth, He said that Indian army yet again showed its bravery on unarmed civilians.
Mehmood Shah said that Indian Army behaves like a lion before unarmed civilians while the same army looses ground before handful of militants in the battleground.