Wednesday, November 6News and updates from Kashmir

2 years after son’s killing in encounter, Father killed in militant attack in Srinagar

Danishwar Hameed

Tragedy hit the Lone family of Shouch Kulgam on Tuesday afternoon for the second time in over two years after they received the shocking news of the death of Mushtaq Ahmed Lone, a Police Assistant sub-inspector in a militant attack in Srinagar’s Lal Bagh area.

On Tuesday, the Jammu Kashmir Police said that militants opened fire on a Nakka of Police personnel in the Lal Bazar area injuring three policemen, including a sub-inspector. The trio was rushed to the nearby hospital, however, the Police sub-inspector identified as Mushtaq Ahmed Lone son of Adul Jabbar Lone succumbed to his injuries.

The slain Police officer was identified as Mushtaq Ahmed, father of Aaqib Mushtaq who was killed by Government forces during an “encounter” in the Asthal Gudder area of Kulgam in April 2020.

Speaking to The Kashmiriyat, a relative of the Police officer said that Mushtaq had been working in the Police Department for over two decades now. He said that the family that was unable to come to terms with the killing of Aaqib has been traumatized by Mushtaq’s killing.

Aqib Mushtaq Lone had completed engineering from a college in Chandigarh and his family disputed the claims of him being a militant.

His family had raised questions about the encounter stating that Aqib was not a militant, a claim denied by Jammu Kashmir Police. “He hurled grenades and fired from a pistol,” Police had said.

A resident of Shouch Kulgam, Aqib had completed engineering from a college in Chandigarh, according to his uncle Bashir Ahmad. “I saw him around 6:30 doing ablution. I asked why was he doing ablution early as there was still time for (Magrib) Namaz. He told me it was better to be ready early,” the uncle of the slain said over the phone
“We called him at around 7:12 p.m., his phone was ringing but he did not answer. There was firing and I told them (family) he is killed.”

“Mushtaq had returned back to duty earlier on Tuesday after Eid ul Adha holidays, He was a poor man taking care of a family of five,” the relative said.

He said that Mushtaq has left behind a wife, two young daughters and one young son.

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