A day after Lt. Ummer Fayaz was found murdered, Indian Army sources have said six terrorists were involved in the killing of the 22-year-old Kashmiri officer.
While no terrorist group has yet claimed responsibility for the killing, an army officer said that it was possible the terrorists initially did not intend to kill the officer and did so after a scuffle.
"Lt. Ummer Fayaz was known as a hero not just in his village but also in the army. He was a brave officer, it is possible that he got into a scuffle with the militants," an army officer who did not want to be named, said.
Around six terrorists are believed to be involved in the act, sources said, and two of them had entered the house where Lt. Ummer had gone to attend a wedding to identify him.
The family did not report that he was abducted to either police or the army.
In a time when intelligence gathering in the valley has been a problem with growing support to militants, officials also said that locals were supporting the Army in attempts to identify the militants who carried out the act.
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Lt. Ummer had two bullet marks on his body -- one on his face and another in his abdomen. There were scuffle marks on the body as well.
Posted with the 3 Rajputana Rifles in Akhnoor, Lt. Ummer had gone home on leave to attend a wedding.
Lt Ummer, who would have turned 23 on June 8, had gone to attend the marriage of his maternal uncle's daughter in Shopian. He was abducted from there around 10 p.m. and his bullet riddled body was found next day.
--IANS
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