The move, sources said, is aimed at exposing the Pakistan hand in militancy in Kashmir.
The Jammu and Kashmir police have decided to ask the Pakistan Embassy in New Delhi to claim the body of Lashkar operations' commander Abu Abu Dujana for burial at his native place in Pakistan.
"After certain formalities, we will ask the Pakistan Embassy to take the body of Abu Dujana to Pakistan so that his parents see him before burial," Inspector General of Police Muneer Khan told THE WEEK. "We will approach them soon."
In case the Pakistan Embassy declines to accept Abdu Dujana's body, Khan said the police will arrange for his proper burial.
It is for the first time in 27 years of militancy that the Kashmir police have decided to handover the body of a Pakistani militant to their embassy in India. According to sources, the move is aimed at exposing the Pakistani hand in militancy in Kashmir.
Abu Dujana and his associate Arif Nabi Dar were killed yesterday in operations by the police, the CRPF and the Indian Army at Pulwama's Harkipora village in south Kashmir. Dujana, reportedly a resident of Gilgit Baltistan, was operating in Kashmir for the last six years.
According to sources, he had married a local girl last year in Pulwama and has a daughter. He had replaced Lashkar-e-Taiba chief operational commander and Udhampur attack mastermind Abu Qasim after he was killed in October 2015.
Funerals of foreign militants often evoke massive participation from the locals and are seen as a source of galvanising support for militants in Kashmir. Thousands of people had participated in Abu Qasim's funeral with two villages even demanding the body be handed over to them for burial. However, since 2015, foreign militants have been buried quietly at Boniyar in Uri.
Police claimed that Abu Dujana was the mastermind of many attacks on security forces in south Kashmir. He first operated in north Kashmir and then shifted to south Kashmir.
For the last one year, sources said, he was operating in Pulwama area but was not very active. He had developed differences with other Lashkar militants and was sidelined for his 'demeanor'.
A few days back he was named as deputy by Zakir Musa, who broke ranks with the Hizbul, and was declared chief of "Al Qaeda" affiliated group Ansar Ghazwat-Ul-Hind. The police said Abu Dujana was instrumental in recruiting local youth to Lashkar.
He was involved in the killing of two CRPF personnel at Sangam Bijbehara and attack on the police party at Gallander Pampore in which two constables of J&K Armed Police were killed.
He was also involved in a hand grenade attack against the security forces at Pahoo village in Awantipora. He was involved in firing on the CRPF at Green Tunnel Bijbehara in which several the CRPF personnel was injured.
“For last one year or so, we have seen that he was not involved in too many operations. He was more involved in coercion,” said Sandhu. Police said Dar was involved in four bank robberies at J&K bank branches at Arihal, Ratnipora, and Nehama besides Ellaquai Dehati Bank Wahibugh branch.
One dies in protest
Yesterday, violent protests rocked the area after people from many villages tried to march towards the encounter site. Security forces first used lathi charge, smoke shells to disperse the mob.
Later, the security forces fired bullets in which a youth, Firdous Ahmed Bhat, was killed and several people suffered injuries. “It was a clean operation but for a civilian casualty and five to six injuries by bullets and pellets,'' Khan. ''In spite of our warnings and requests, people at the behest of militants tend to come in between the operation parties and militant. We lost a civilian regrettably.''
After the news of Abu Dujana's death spread, students took to streets in Srinagar and other parts of the valley. They pelted stones on the forces who used lathi charge to disperse the mob.
Joint Resistance Leadership comprising Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and Yasin Malik have called for Kashmir bandh on Tuesday against the killings and asked people to offer funeral prayers in absentia to slain militants.
