November 07
Idrees Ahmed Mir of Safangari area in South Kashmir’s Shopian District went missing from his camp on April 15 this year.
He was posted in Bihar and had come home to Shopian on leave, however a few days later, A picture of Mir Idrees Sultan, son of Mohammad Sultan Mir of Safanagri in south Kashmir’s Shopian district, holding an AK-47 rifle had gone viral on social media.
Idrees who had studied till BSc second year had joined the Militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen, earlier he was serving in the Army’s 12 Jammu Kashmir Light Infantry (JAKLI) in Bihar.
Idrees Ahmad Mir of Safnagri area of South Kashmir’s Shopian district was killed today in a brief gunfight with government forces at his native village on Tuesday morning.
Sources informed The Kashmiriyat that Idrees Ahmed was trapped at the site of gunfight along with a local Militant when Army men surrounded the area and a gunfight ensued, ending with the killing of two local Militants.
According to his family, Idrees had left home on an April evening and not returned.
“We have lodged a missing complaint and we are in touch with the Police,” his relative told The Kashmiriyat, adding that Idrees was supposed to return to Bihar two days after he went missing, Idrees had joined the army two-three years back.”
He was not uneducated or poor, he had a good job, he belonged to a well off family, his father Muhammad Sultan, is the wealthiest landlord in the area and has more more than 70 kanals of argricultural land,” a Local from Safanagri told The Kashmiriyat.
Whenever he visited home during vacations while being in the army, he used to always say that he had not chosen the right job, his friends say.
Locals also say that on April 01, 2018 when 13 Militants were killed in a single day, he was deeply moved by that incident. He grew in sadness over the deaths of 13 Militants and four locals on the same day.
Sources said three youths from Shopian, including the army man, had joined militancy after the April 1 twin gunfights in the district in which 12 militants and four civilians were killed.
Thousands of mourners reached Safanagri Shopian to bid farewell to Idrees at his funeral, tens of thousands of people participated in four rounds of funeral prayers.
The 22-year-old had joined the Indian Army in 2015 and was posted in Katihar district of Bihar In July 2017, Zahoor Ahmad Thokar, a soldier with the 173 Battalion of the Territorial Army, deserted his post and had reportedly joined the Hizbul Mujahideen. Two policemen from south Kashmir, Ishfaq Ahmad Dar and Syed Naveed also joined militant outfits. While Naveed joined Hizbul Mujahideen, Dar is associated with Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Locals said Idrees has left behind two brothers, two sisters, and his parents, The Residents of Safnagri said that Idrees is the 13th martyr from the village.