Bilal Veeri CNI

The last rites of four police personnel who were killed in a fierce encounter with militants in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district were performed with full honours at their respective native places. Thousands of mourners, including senior officials and political leaders, attended the ceremonies, paying tribute to their sacrifices.

The two-day gunfight in the remote Safiyan forest area resulted in the killing of two Pakistani militants. While the bodies of three policemen were recovered on Friday, the fourth was retrieved on Saturday. The slain personnel were identified as Head Constable Jagbir Singh from Akhnoor and Selection Grade Constables Tariq Ahmad from Reasi, Balwinder Singh Chib from Kana Chak, and Jaswant Singh fr
om Kathua.

Slogans praising the fallen policemen and condemning Pakistan echoed during the funeral processions. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah led the wreath-laying ceremony for Jagbir Singh, while BJP MP Jugal Kishore Sharma and other leaders attended the funerals, emphasizing the need to eliminate militancy.

Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Rayees Mohammad Bhat reiterated the police force’s commitment to continuing the fight against Pakistan-backed militancy, vowing to bring it to its logical conclusion. MP Sharma claimed that militancy was in its final phase and would soon be uprooted.