Gunmen shoot dead army deserter in Kashmir’s Pulwama district

The army has refuted reports that Naik was a soldier with the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry. It clarified that while he was recruited in the army, he deserted before taking oath as a soldier.

A youth who had deserted army last year was killed by unidentified gunmen in a village in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district in broad daylight on Wednesday, officials said.

A soldier is seen through barbed wire as he stands guard during security lockdown in Srinagar.(AP File Photo/Representative image)

Officials said that gunmen attacked Showkat Ahmad Naik at Pinglina Pulwama close to his house. Naik was badly injured and died on the spot. Soon after Naik’s killing, police and army launched a search and cordon operation in the village. No militant group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The army has refuted reports that Naik was a soldier with the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry. It clarified that while he was recruited in the army, he deserted before taking oath as a soldier.

Army spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said that recruit Showkat Ahmed Naik never took oath as a soldier as he was enrolled on January 15 last year in Territorial Army. “He went to JAK LI Regimental Center on March 21 last year. On September 14, he went on three days leave and never returned and was declared deserter on September 17 last year.’

Kalia said that after being declared deserter during training, he was a civilian for all practical purpose. “We have no ex-recruit.’’

Last month security forces killed three Jaish-e-Mohammad militants during a gun battle in the same village including a top commander who is believed to have played a crucial role in Pulwama convoy attack at Lethpora that killed 40 troopers. Four army personnel, one of them a major, a policeman, and a civilian were also killed while a few senior security officials, including south Kashmir’s deputy inspector general of police and an Indian Army brigadier, were injured in that encounter.