Defying COVID-19 lockdown, hundreds of locals gathered at the funeral of JeM terrorist Sajad Nawab Dar

Key Highlights Hundreds of people, defying lockdown, gathered at the funeral of JeM terrorist Sajad Nawab Dar who was killed in an encounter with security forces in the Sopore earlier this month Pakistan-based terrorist organisations and ISI use mass gatherings for recruiting terrorists After the outbreak of COVID-19, at least 16 terrorists have been killed in Kashmir

New Delhi: When J&K authorities quietly buried four terrorists killed in a gunfight in south Kashmir’s Shopian on April 22 for the second time it became clear that India had adopted a new strategy to stop the mass gatherings at the funeral procession which had become a recruitment tool for terror organisations.

This was for the second time that terrorists killed in the gunfight were buried quietly as on April 17, two terrorists killed in Shopian were buried in Baramulla district the same evening.

Earlier this month, hundreds of people participated in the funeral of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist commander Sajad Nawab Dar violating the COVID-19 protocols and Centre’s advisories regarding the social distancing.

The JeM terrorist was killed in an encounter with security forces in the Sopore area of Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir and his guardians had given in writing that they will adhere to social distancing when the dead body was handed over to them after completing medico-legal formalities.

Mass gathering at funerals first started in 2015

The funeral of at least three terrorists killed in Kulgam was also attended by many people after which the police registered a first information report and arrested over 100 people, reported The Tribune.

Mass gathering at terrorist funerals was first reported in 2015 when of high-ranking Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Abdul Rehman aka Abu Qasim was killed in a gun battle with security forces.

Burhan Wani & 2016 Kashmir protests

A picture of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani with 10 gun-wielding local terrorists went viral and made him the poster boy of the terrorist organization. In 2016, more than 200,000 people gathered at his funeral and terrorists present at the funeral gave a three-volley salute. Seeing the large gatherings and charged atmosphere, the terrorist handlers and recruiters saw an opportunity to use the funeral procession for recruitment.

Wani’s death sparked massive protests across the valley with Kashmir being placed under 53 consecutive days of curfew.

Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has used this opportunity to fuel anti-India sentiments and even declared Burhan Wani a martyr. Every year, Pakistan commemorates his death all over the country including PoK.

After the outbreak of COVID-19, at least 16 terrorists have been killed in Kashmir.