The father, mother and sister of an Indian Army officer were shot dead by militants who barged into their home in the Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir Police on Sunday, June 29.
Liyaqat Ahmad Bhat was posted in Shar Shali area of Khrew, on the outskirts of Srinagar, when he was informed that terrorists had forced their way into his home at Hariparigam village and shot his father, mother and sister.
Liyaqat’s wife and toddler daughter were also in the home when the attack happened but managed to survive the incident.
His father, Fayaz Ahmad, a former special police officer (SPO) in the Jammu and Kashmir police was pronounced dead at the scene.
His mother, Raja Begum, and his sister, Rafia Jan were rushed to a nearby hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Begum was pronounced dead at the hospital and Jan reportedly continued to be in critical condition.
On Monday, Liyaqat held two back-to-back funerals for his parents when his 25-year-old sister battled for her life in the hospital.
The devastated army man had to return to the graveyard the next morning to hold a funeral for his sister after she succumbed to her injuries after battling it out for more than 12 hours.
According to the police, the armed militants forced their way into the home on Sunday morning and opened fire at the family.
The gunmen tried to fire at Fayaz but Begum and Jan intervened in a bid to save him.
"The gunmen, however, did not relent and fired at all three of them. Bhat’s wife was kicked by the gunmen as she rushed to help," the police source told Kashmir Reader.
"They fled after shooting indiscriminately."
The neighbours rushed to the home and found Begum and Jan collapsed over Fayaz.
"Fayaz had already died, while the two women were rushed to hospital," a neighbour, who did not wish to be named, told the Kashmir Reader.
"This is a catastrophe. The whole village is in a state of shock and disbelief."
"Killings are not new to Kashmir, but every time we think we are beyond feeling shock at a killing, we are proven wrong."
"They were really poor and now that their son had started working with the army, things seemed to get better for the family. Guess it was not to be," the neighbour added.
Kashmir Range Inspector General of Police Vijay Kumar visited the home on Monday morning and expressed his condolences to bereaved Liyaqat.
"This is an act of cowardice," Kumar said.
"United Liberation Front (ULF)," a new militant group operating in Jammu & Kashmir has claimed responsibility for the attack.
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