16-Year-Old Slain J&K Militant Was the Son of a Police Constable

Sixteen-year-old Fardeen Ahmad Khanday is believed to have joined the JeM militants a few months ago.

Fardeen Ahmad Khanday

(Photo: Twitter/@jandkheadlines)

Sixteen-year-old Fardeen Ahmad Khanday was killed during a pre-dawn strike by militants in Pulwama on 31 December. The teenager, who is the son of police constable Ghulam Mohmmad Khanday, is believed to have joined the Jaish-e-Mohammed militancy group three months ago, reported India Today. The Class 10 student was a resident of Tral, Burhan Wani’s hometown.

Arms and ammunition were reportedly recovered from Khanday’s body. The attack claimed the lives of five CRPF jawans. Among the martyred personnel were Captain Sharief-ud-din Ganaie, Inspector Kuldip Roy, HC Taufail Ahmed, Captain Rajendra Nain and Captain Pradeep Kumar Panda.

While Roy died of heart attack during the gunbattle, the four others succumbed to bullet injuries. The injured personnel are constables Narendra Kumar, Malam Samadhan and Mala Ram.

Khanday had also released an 8-minute-long video on social media accusing the Indian Army and the government of atrocities in the state. The video also sees Khanday purportedly explaining why he decided to take up militancy.

Sources told India Today that the trend of local militants being turned into fidayeen was a cause of concern.

Security forces are also worried about the trend of local militant-turned-fidayeen to make a comeback after almost 15 years, the last one being reported in 2003 where five CRPF personnel were killed.

J&K security personnel have often made several appeals to local youth-turned-militants to surrender. Majid Arshid Khan, a young footballer from Kashmir who joined militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba on 10 November, had surrendered after his mother’s emotional appeal on social media to return home.

A Peek Into His Mind

"By the time the video is released, I will already be a new guest in heaven," says Khanday calmly, seated between three AK assault rifles, a huge cache of ammunition, grenades and communication devices.

The eight-minute video gives a peek into the teenager's pyschology, reported IANS. Fardeen Khanday urges Kashmiri youth and Muslims across the country to joint the "fight against India."

Khanday, in the video, also negated the assumption that unemployment was driving Kashmiri youngsters to take to militancy, saying that it was nothing but propaganda.

The importance of jihad increases when infidels occupy our land and threaten the modesty of our women.

He has a thick Kashmiri accent and talks in Urdu.

My friends and I have listened to the call of Quran and plunged into the battlefield of jihad. This will continue till the last occupying soldier is present in Kashmir.

He goes on to speak about the demolition of Babri Masjid, as well as attacks on security forces blamed on the Jaish, reports IANS.

Even after repeated claims by Indian security forces and agencies, Jaish-e-Mohammad has not been wiped out from the Valley. Jaish is not so weak. It is impossible to stop Jaish-e-Mohammad... We are roaring.

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