The beheaded body of a 24-year-old man was recovered from Hajin in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district on Friday morning, a day after he was abducted by suspected militants.
“The body of Manzoor Ahmed Bhat, who was abducted by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists on the intervening night of April 4 and 5, was found on the outskirts of Hajin early today,” a police spokesperson said.
Police have identified Kashmiri militant Mohd Saleem Parrey and his Pakistani accomplices as the alleged killers of Bhat, a shepherd by occupation. “LeT militants abducted Manzoor Ahmed Bhat and his father, Abdul Gaffar, after barging into their house and assaulting their family members on Wednesday night,” the spokesperson said.
Gaffar, however, managed to get away. He is currently hospitalised with bullet injuries sustained during his escape.
Chief minister Mehbooba Mufti reacted to the incident, saying in a tweet, “The brutal killing of young Manzoor Ahmad is highly condemnable but should also serve as a reminder of where society is headed. The scourge of terror has hit a new low as the brutality of this act has left us all in shock.”
This is the second incident of militants targeting civilians at Hajin this week. Muntazir Ahmad Parrey, a 33-year-old private car driver, was found murdered hours after suspected LeT militants abducted him from his father-in-law’s residence in the village on Tuesday. Two women from the household were injured in the attack, and are being treated in a hospital.
{{/usCountry}}This is the second incident of militants targeting civilians at Hajin this week. Muntazir Ahmad Parrey, a 33-year-old private car driver, was found murdered hours after suspected LeT militants abducted him from his father-in-law’s residence in the village on Tuesday. Two women from the household were injured in the attack, and are being treated in a hospital.
{{/usCountry}}Mohd Saleem Parrey, who hails from Hajin, had joined militant ranks last summer. Police said he was behind both cases of abduction and murder. Further information is awaited.
While a number of foreign terrorists are active in north Kashmir, the southern part of the state is dominated by homebred militants.