Lt Ummer Fayaz was dragged out of the relatives' home in Kulgam in south Kashmir and shot multiple times
There is anger against the killing of army officer Ummer Fayaz, with people from all walks of life unanimously condemning the murder of the young lieutenant on social media. The 22-year-old Kashmiri soldier was off-duty and unarmed when he was dragged out of the home of his relatives in Kulgam in south Kashmir by masked gunmen. He had gone to his family village to attend the wedding of his cousin. He was shot multiple times.
Schoolmates of Lieutenant Ummer Fayaz get emotional as they talk about their friend who was killed by terror group Hizbul Mujahideen. They remember him as a daring young man driven by a passion to do something big in life.
Hours after Ummer Fayaz was killed, his batchmate from school, Sajid Yusuf, took to Facebook. "Sad news for us all Ummer Fayaz our class mate of JNV Anantnag killed by militants in Kulgam last night. May his soul rest in peace!" Mr Yusuf wrote.
"It was a cold blooded murder because he was not in uniform at that time, he was picked up from his cousin's marriage and later killed in Shopian," Sajid Yusuf, a schoolmate of Ummer Fayaz told NDTV.
While the rest of the country has been unanimous in condemning the murder, opinion from Kashmir was somewhat divided.
Kashmiri Journalist Wasim Khalid wrote on Facebook, "I do not think it was a right decision to kill an army officer, who was unarmed, and had come home to attend a marriage function. He was not a combatant. He was not fighting a war, neither he had done anything which was against the people's cause. He could have been counseled."
"Kashmir's past being an alcove of Sufis, Kashmiris traditionally are against such killings, they see the shades of grey between all the black and white world," said Gowhar Geelani, a political analyst.
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