Even as four rounds of funeral prayers were held by Friday evening, the local elders had to defer the burial of Maajid Manzoor Dar as the mourners from adjoining as well as far off villages continued to pour in till late evening. Manzoor, who was killed in an encounter in Bijbihara’s Srigofwara area along with three associates, will be buried on Suturday, the local elders said.
“Due to heavy rush of people we have decided to bury him (Dar) tomorrow morning,” said a family member.
Police say the 22 -year-old Dar, a college dropout, had initially joined Laskhar-e-Toiba but soon switched Islamic State Jammu and Kashmir, a loosely knit armed group that owes allegiance to ISIS.
As the word about the killing of Dar spread, clashes broke out in Pulwama town amid a complete shutdown. Scores of youth hit the streets at multiple locations and pelted stones and bricks at the government forces. The forces retaliated with pellets and tear gas shells, an eyewitness said.
“Since morning many youth clashed with forces at Main Chowk , Murran Chowk and Dangerpora area . However, no injuries were reported in these clashes,” a police official said.
Meanwhile all the shops, business establishments and educational institutes remained closed in the town. While public transport remained largely off the roads, the private vehicles in some parts of town plied normally.