SRINAGAR: An off-duty army soldier was killed by militants after he was abducted at night from the volatile Shopian district in south Kashmir.
The Shopian Superintendent of Police, Ambarkar Shriram Dinkar, told Express that the bullet-riddled body of Irfan Ahmad Dar was recovered from an orchard in the Watmulla Keegam area of Shopian district in the morning. There were bullet wounds on the chest and back.
Dar, 23, hailing from Keegam village in Shopian had gone home on a week-long holiday and was to join work on November 26. He was posted in the Territorial Army unit in Bandipora district of north Kashmir.
Dinkar said the soldier had left home last evening for some work. “His bullet-riddled body was recovered in the morning,” he said, adding that police was analysing the killing from different angles.
“It looks like militant action. Probably, militants may have abducted and subsequently killed him,” the police officer said.
The police have also found the car in which he was travelling near the spot where his body was recovered.
“We have recovered the soldier’s car, key and other belongings. We are analysing them,” Dinkar said. Further investigations are underway to identity the killers, he added.
The defence spokesman in Srinagar, Colonel Rajesh Kalia, said Dar was on leave till November 26. “Police are investigating his killing,” he said.
This is the third killing of off-duty security personnel in the Valley this year.
On May 10, army officer Lt Umar Fayaz was killed by militants after he was abducted from a marriage party in Shopian district. He was on leave to attend the marriage ceremony of a close relative.
On September 27, off-duty BSF jawan Mohammad Ramzan Parray was killed and four of his family members were injured in a gun-and-knife attack by militants at his residence in Hajin area of north Kashmir’s Bandipora district.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has strongly condemned the killing of Irfan.
“It is very unfortunate that such acts of unending violence have been taking a heavy toll of the younger generation, that is the future hope of our society,” she said.
Strongly condemn the brutal killing of Irfan Ahmed ,a brave Territorial Army soldier at Shopian.
Such heinous acts will not weaken our resolve to establish peace and normalcy in the valley.
Omar Abdullah, the National Conference working president and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, termed the murder of the young soldier as a very tragic and reprehensible act.