Thousands pay respects to Sunjuwan attack martyrs, CM attends wreath-laying ceremony
Even as the nation mourned the six slain soldiers who were killed in a fidayeen attack at Sunjuwan in Jammu on Saturday, thousands turned up to pay their last respects to the four Kashmiri soldiers that hailed from the valley. The slain civilian was the father of one of the slain soldiers.
Emotions ran high when the bodies of the father-son duo reached their Tral home in South Kashmir. Lance Naik Iqbal Ahmad Sheikh of first Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JAKLI) and his father Ghulam Mohidin Sheikh were killed when Jaish-e-Mohommad fidayeens stormed the residential quarters of soldiers at the 36 brigade headquarters at Sunjuwan.
Iqbal had been promoted to the rank of Lance Naik just a few days ago while his father had come to town for a medical check-up, but in a turn of events, instead fell to the bullets of the assassins.
"Our father called my mother at 5 am on the ill-fated day and told her he heard some gunshots. Iqbal snatched the phone and told her not to worry because it is a routine training exercise," said Irshad Ahmad Sheikh, Iqbal's brother.
In fact, the family shielded Iqbal's mother to the extent that they only told her they were injured. "We did not tell her anything till the bodies arrived," said Irshad.
On Tuesday, hundreds of people attended the father-son funeral in the village. However, given the sensitivity of Tral, elders requested people not to raise any slogans, but shrieks and cries rent the air as the bodies were taken to graveyard for burial.
More than 150 km away from Tral in Maidanpora village of Kupwara, thousands of people joined the funeral procession of Subaidar Mohommad Ashraf Mir. As the last post was sounded, floral wreaths were laid on the coffin. Among the people who laid the floral wreath was Ghulam Mohi-ud-din Mir, the aged father of the Subaidar Mir.
Earlier in the day, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti laid floral wreaths on the bodies of Army personnel before they were flown to Srinagar for last rites in their native villages. Later, the CM interacted and consoled the family members of the slain Army personnel.
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 "Mehbooba Mufti pays tribute to slain Army soldiers-PTI")
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