26-Yr-Old Woman Killed in Kashmir’s Tral After Militants Open Fire

The gunman has been identified as JeM militant Noor Mohammad Tantray.

Women console a relative of Yasmeena, a woman who according to local media was killed by unidentified gunmen in Pulwama district, during her funeral in Khonmoh, south of Srinagar.

(Photo: Reuters)

A 26-year-old woman was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Tral on Sunday, 22 October. Another woman was injured in the shootout, that broke out hours after suspected militants ransacked houses of some police officials and activists of mainstream political parties in southern Kashmir.

Official and civilian sources in Tral said that gunmen (numbers vary from one to three) were spotted at Seer, around 45 km from Srinagar, at 12:30 pm. One gunman opened fire at Yasmeena, the daughter of Ghulam Rasool Bhat of Khunmoh, at the house of her relative, Rubeena.

Yasmeena succumbed to her injuries while she was being rushed to the hospital. Rubeena, 40, sustained gunshot wounds and is currently recovering at a hospital in Srinagar.

A relative of Yasmeena mourns during her funeral in Khonmoh, south of Srinagar.(Photo: Reuters)

Inspector General of Police for Kashmir Zone, Munir Khan, told The Quint that the gunman has been identified as Noor Mohammad Tantray, alias Noora Trali, a Jaish-e-Mohammad militant of the same area. The IGP said that Noor had been arrested by National Investigation Agency (NIA) in a terrorism-related matter, but was released by a judge on parole.

“He went underground and picked up gun within two weeks of getting parole from NIA custody,” the IGP said.

It’s a clear case of harassing women. Even when (Hizbul Mujahideen poster boy) Burhan Wani of Tral was alive, militants had harassed these two women and taken an apology from them on gun point. But I can tell you without any fear of contradiction that neither of them was working for the Police, the security forces or any other government agency.

Munir Khan, IGP

Senior Superintendent of Police in Awantipora, Zahid Malik, said that Yasmeena’s sister is married to a member of Rubeena’s family.

“She had gone there as a guest. As one of the militants began firing on Rubeena, Yasmeena attempted to shield her. Yasmeena died, while Rubeena was injured. The family rushed her to a local hospital wherefrom she was referred to a Srinagar hospital,” the SSP said.

On the night of 21 October, suspected militants in Awantipora Police District ransacked the house of ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) activist Mohammad Ashraf Pir at Dadsar village.

Reports said that Pir was not at home when the militants ransacked his house and manhandled members of his family.

In a separate incident that night, suspected militants fired at the residence of Assistant Sub Inspector of Police (ASI), Ghulam Mohammad Bhat, at Batagund. SSP Zahid confirmed that the ASI and his family members were safe. One window of the house was damaged in the firing, he added.

(The writer is a Srinagar-based journalist. He can be reached @ahmedalifayyaz.)