After a decade, slain LeT militant was first to pick arms in Chakoora village
Pulwama: Unlike other areas of southern districts, the Chakoora village in Litter Tehsil of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district witnessed no militant recruitment from past over one decade. However, the slain militant Irfan Ahmad Sheikh from the village was the first to pick up gun after a gap of 11 years when no youth from the area headed to militancy.
Irfan Ahmad Sheikh, son of Gulzar Ahmad Sheikh of Chakoora village had joined LeT last year and was killed in his native village on Wednesday evening in a brief shootout.
Belonging to a middle class family, Irfan had completed his graduation in Arts from Degree College Bijbehara before joining the militant ranks.
Irfan was a very noble person and used to offer five times prayers from his childhood, said one of his friends, adding that he used to teach Quran to the local children.
“From his childhood, Irfan was aspiring to die as a martyr and today his words proved true,” he said, adding that he was inclined towards militancy since his childhood days but was never arrested before picking up the arms. The slain militant didn’t participate in stone pelting or street protests ever in his life, he said.
Irfan is survived by three brothers besides father as his mother had died few years back. He was the third militant of the village since 90s. Before him, two militants also associated with LeT, Shabir Ahmad Bhat and Muzamil Ahmad were killed in encounters in 2008 and 2005 respectively, a local said.
Meanwhile, braving snowfall, thousands of people participated in multiple funerals of slain militant at his native village.
Eye-witnesses said that thousands of people including women and children assembled in a local ground and participated in last rites of the slain militant.
“Despite snowfall, the venue for the funeral prayer was reverberating with pro-militant and pro-Pakistani slogans,” they said.
Meanwhile, a complete shutdown was observed in many parts of the Pulwama district against his killing. All the shops and business establishments remained closed while as the traffic was also thin on the roads throughout the day.
Jahangeer Ganaie
