Braving snowfall, thousands attend militant’s funeral in Pulwama

Pulwama: Braving snowfall, thousands of people on Saturday participated in the funeral prayers of Jaish-e-Mohammad militant, Saqib Shafi Dar who was killed along with his Pakistani associate by government forces in a gunfight in Khonmoh area in the outskirts of Srinagar.

The funeral prayer was offered to Saqib, whose body was charred beyond recognition, at his native village in Arihal.

Thousands of mourners from Pulwama, Shopian, Rajpora and other villages started arriving in Arihal to participate in the funeral prayers.

Women showered flower petals and candies on his body from the rooftops and windows of their homes. People also shouted pro-freedom and pro-Islam slogans during the funeral.

As per his relatives, Saqib, 24, had joined militancy five months back. Before joining militancy, he was a student.

Authorities customarily snapped the mobile internet service in Pulwama district after the killings.