The video from Kashmir showed terrorists waving guns and leading the slogan-shouting crowd.
A video of terrorists waving guns at the funeral of another terrorist killed in an encounter are doing the rounds in Jammu and Kashmir. The police say the three men have been identified and they are locals who joined the terror groups.
The terrorists had mingled with the crowd at Sopore's Brat village. The terrorist whose funeral was taking place, was killed in an encounter in Kreeri, Baramulla, last week. The video showed the terrorists waving guns and leading the slogan-shouting crowd.
So-called "gun salutes" at the funeral of dead terrorists -- a norm in Jammu and Kashmir for several years -- have become a matter of concern, say security forces. With thousands of locals attending, these have become occasions for brainwashing and recruiting impressionable young men into terror ranks, sources said.
"It is the massive participation in militant funerals and such gun salutes, which is attracting more impressionable youth to join militancy," a police officer said.
There has been a spurt in terror attacks in south Kashmir since. Over the last week, 10 terrorists were killed in three major encounters.
Yesterday, a police officer was shot dead at Wahibugh in South Kashmir's Pulwama district. Sub-Inspector Imtiyaz Ahmad Mir was openly critical of terrorists on social media.
In another attack, terrorists shot at Muhammad Amin -- a People's Democratic Party activist -- on the outskirts of Srinagar. He was rushed to a hospital in a critical state, where he died.
Two years ago, Kashmir Valley had witnessed six-month-long protests that started at the funeral of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani. More than 80 people were killed and nearly 1000 were injured in the clashes that took place between the protesters and securitymen over that period.