Amid curfew thousands throng to Dardsara Tral to attend funeral of AGH chief Zakir Musa

Thousands of people on Friday participated in the funeral prayers of slain militant commander Zakir Musa at his native Noorpora village of Tral in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.Reports and witnesses said that thousands of people from various parts of Pulwama district reached Noorpora despite restrictions and rains to participate in the last rites of Musa who was killed by the security forces in a gunfight last night.

The body of  Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGH)chief Zakir Musa ,killed  in an encounter in Tral region of Kashmir late night yesterday ,was handed over to his family today morning. One more militant was killed in the encounter.Zakir Musa’s body was retrieved at 6 am today.

An official said that a gunfight broke out between militants and security forces at Dadsara village in Tral area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Thursday. A joint team of army’s 42 RR, SOG and CRPF cordoned off to Dadsara village late evening on May 23.

Security forces had to blast a chemist’s house where Musa was hiding. The owner was sent in for negotiation to surrender. But Musa declined.

The joint team according to the officer tried to persuade the militant commander to surrender. However, he fired some UBGL grenades leading to an encounter.

Curfew was imposed in parts of Kashmir on Friday, a day after Zakir Musa was killed in an encounter with security forces in Tral.

Educational institutions have been closed and curfew was imposed in places in Kashmir as a precautionary measure, following the Thursday incident, officials said.Internet was also shutdown, they said.

Spontaneous protests had broken out in Shopian, Pulwama, Awantipora and downtown Srinagar, with people raising slogans in favour of Musa.

On Thursday, the Jammu and Kashmir Police announced restrictions in some areas of Pulwama, Awantipora, Srinagar, Anantnag and Budgam as a precautionary measure.

Meanwhile , a complete shutdown is being observed in Banihal in Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, against the killing of militant commander Zakir Musa.

All shops, business establishments and schools are closed while local traffic is off the roads in Banihal.

Witnesses said that extra forces have been deployed in Banihal and other adjacent areas affected by shutdown.Curfew-like restrictions were imposed in parts of Srinagar, summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, on Friday to prevent protests against the killing of militant commander Zakir Musa late last night.