Sopore: Thousands of people on Monday participated in the last rites of Lashkar militant Ishfaq Majid Mir who was killed along with an associate in a gunfight with the government forces in Handwara yesterday.
Mir and another unidentified militant were killed in one of the longest gunfights in recent years in Kashmir in Babagund village of Langate that also left five forces’ personnel dead.
Three Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel including an inspector-rank officer, two policemen, two militants and a civilian were killed in the 56-hour-long gun-battle while at least eight residential houses and three cowsheds suffered damage, officials said.
An eye witness said that thousands of people assembled in Brath Kalan, native village of Mir today morning and took part in his last rites. Sources said that the body of Mir was handed over to his family around 11 pm last night.
Meanwhile, Internet continued to remain suspended in Sopore and Rafiabad areas, causing a huge inconvenience to the students and the traders.
The Internet was suspended as soon as the gunfight broke out in Babagund village on Friday night.