Orphan Valley: Bandipora Terror Attack Renders 8 More Children Fatherless in Kashmir, Youngest are Year-Old Twins

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To the ever-increasing list of children rendered fatherless in Kashmir, add eight more; this time it’s the sons of two policemen killed in the Friday evening shootout with militants in Bandipore.

Selection Grade Constable Mohammad Sultan and Constable Fayaz Ahmad Lone of the J&K Police were killed in a terror attack at the busy Gulshan Chowk in north Kashmir township.

Mohammad Sultan leaves behind four sons — nine-year-old Salik, seven-year-old Uzair and less-than-a-year-old twins Affan and Ehsan. He is also survived by his 35-year-old wife and 70-year-old father.

His slain colleague Fayaz Ahmad Lone from Lolab in Kupwara is also survived by four sons — 14-year-old Zubair, 12-year-old Aaqib, nine-year-old Aadil, and three-year-old Shahid, besides his parents and 30-year-old wife Mubina.

These families join a long list of innocent civilians whose lives have been uprooted in the 32 years of militancy in the Kashmir Valley. Of late, such tragedies have been devastating families with recurring ease.

It was only a few weeks ago that six children of two businessmen killed in a contentious encounter in Hyderpora in Srinagar were rendered fatherless. The children, as young as one-year-old, had to sit on a dharna into the freezing night, demanding that bodies of the deceased be returned for a last glimpse and burial to give the families some semblance of closure.

Meanwhile, at Sultan’s native home in Sopore, hundreds of men and women gathered to mourn his death. People talked about how his fatherless children and his wife would cope.

Mohammad Sultan is survived by four sons, his widow and elderly father. (Photo by arrangement)

Women were seen consoling his widow, while some relatives attended to the year-old twins.

The youngest of Mohammad Sultan’s children are his year-old twins. (Photo by arrangement)

The most poignant image of the tragedy was that of Sultan’s niece, in red and black-striped scarf, crying inconsolably at her departed uncle’s home.

Before the bodies of the two policemen were sent to their homes, a wreath-laying ceremony was held at Bandipora District Police headquarters where officials paid homage to the two slain cops.

The deadly attack was carried out in the main market just before darkness enveloped the town.

IGP Vijay Kumar said on Saturday that the attack was carried out by a Pakistani militant belonging to the terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba. “A single Pakistani militant came and fired at the driver and one PSO of the SHO but couldn’t snatch their weapon due to retaliation by the second PSO,” Kumar said, adding that two over-the-ground workers helped the militant.

CCTV footage obtained by News18 and cross-checked with police sources suggests that the militant concealed a weapon before firing point-blank at the policemen and fleeing.

The district which runs contiguous to the Line of Control has been largely peaceful barring a few minor incidents, but Friday evening’s attack has shaken the security grid. The last major attack in Bandipore was the killing of BJP leader Waseem Bari, his father and brother in July 2020. Friday’s attack also comes on top of a spate of targeted killing of civilians and policemen in October.

While the police have said they will support the families of the two martyrs, the administration has vowed to avenge their deaths.

“We stand by the family and assure that the terrorists responsible to make you orphan shall be soon brought to justice,” Kashmir Zone Police tweeted.

The office of J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha tweeted: “We are firmly resolved to avenge this barbaric action by the enemies of peace & determined to completely dismantle the terror ecosystem. J&K administration will extend all possible support to martyrs families.”

Condemning the attack, former chief minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said: “I condemn the militant attack on the police in Bandipore area of North Kashmir earlier today that resulted in the death in the line of duty of J&K police personnel Muhammad Sultan and Fayaz Ahmad. May Allah grant them Jannat & may their families find strength at this time.”

Former CM and PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti also condoled the deaths. “My heart breaks for the families of the policemen killed in the line of duty yesterday at Bandipora. Condolences to their loved ones,” she tweeted.

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