Indian troops martyr another IIOJK youth Abdul Rashid Dar

Islamabad: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), the dead body of a youth, Abdul Rashid Dar, who had been abducted by Indian troops in December last year has been found in Zurhama forest area of Kupwara district, triggering protests against the Modi government and its brutal army in his hometown, Kunan Poshpora area of the district.

According to Kashmir Media Service, the body of martyred Abdul Rashid Dar was handed over to his family on Wednesday afternoon. Dar’s family confirmed to the media the custodial killing of their son. “The body was given to us [family] just a short while,” one of his brothers said, in a phone interview.

Speaking to a media outlet, Kunan village sarpanch Khursheed Ahmad said that the Kupwara district police chief called the family in the morning for identification after a body was recovered in the Zurhama forest area.

“The body is in a dilapidated condition. And it was hard to identify it. However, the family members later identified a mark on his body, confirming that it is their son,” Ahmad said.

Meanwhile, as soon as the news of the recovery of Dar’s body spread, the villagers assembled in Kunanposhpora area and staged a protest against India and its brutal army. The protesters raised anti-India slogans and called for punishment to the Indian army personnel involved in Dar’s abduction and subsequent killing in custody.

Notably, Dar’s family had protested in Srinagar’s press enclave earlier in January, saying that their kin had been subjected to enforced disappearance after he was taken in custody by the Indian army.

On 22 December, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kupwara Yougal Manhas had also confirmed to the media persons that Dar was detained by the Indian army for “questioning in connection with a militancy case”. However, later the Indian army claimed that he had escaped from custody on 15 December.