Young Kashmiri Army Officer Abducted, Killed While on Leave
Posted in Jammu and Kashmir’s Akhnoor sector, the officer trained at the National Defence Academy near Pune and the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun before being commissioned on December 10, 2016.
Fayaz was part of the hockey team at the defence academy and also enjoyed volleyball.Physically tough, Fayaz, posted in the border state’s Akhnoor sector, was popular among troops. He was likely to go to Mhow in September to attend a course for young officers.His father is an apple farmer.
Relating the sequence of events a close relative of the slain officer said: “On Tuesday Umar visited one of his relatives in Anantnag and later on he went to his maternal home where her mother Jameela Bano was already present. At around 9:30 on Tuesday evening, some unknown gunmen barged into the house and asked Umar to accompany him.
When family members requested them to leave him, they assured that after questioning he will be released. After an hour, we heard some gunshots. Whole night we couldn’t sleep and on Wednesday morning news reached to us that Umar’s bullet riddled body has been found in Harmain village,” he said.
Ummer Fayaz, the Indian Army officer killed by militants in Kashmir, laid to rest
Soldier killed in Kashmir was a sports enthusiast, would have turned 23 in June.
The Indian Army said, “some unidentified terrorists” abducted and killed officer Lt Ummer Fayaz, who was in his native place on leave to attend a wedding in the family.
Calling it a “dastardly act”, the Indian Army, in a statement said it “salutes the braveheart and stands by the bereaved family in this hour of tragedy”.
Army sources said the killing was to intimidate people and discourage young people from joining the army and other security forces. The incident comes amid increasing tensions in the Valley between civilians and security forces following a series of videos that allegedly showed human rights excesses by security forces.
About a week ago, a rogue Pakistani army team killed and beheaded two security personnel, triggering outrage across the country and prompting the government to vow a strong response.