Indian Army on trail of Lieutenant Ummer Fayaz's killers

On the occasion of Independence Day, Lieutenant General J S Sandhu on Tuesday remembered 22-year-old Lieutenant Ummer Fayaz who was killed by terrorists in Shopian, and assured that his killers have been identified and that the Indian Army is on their trail.

Speaking to the reporters here, the GoC 15 Corps said, "Lieutenant Ummer Fayaz was the cynosure of all eyes in his Rajputana Rifles unit at Jammu district's Akhnoor sub-division. He was loved by his colleagues, and performed every task allotted to him in an immaculate fashion. It commits to bring the perpetrators of this heinous act of terror to justice. I would also like to assure that the people involved in his killing are identified and we are on their trail. We will soon provide him and his family justice".

Further speaking on Army Goodwill School which is renamed as Shaheed Lt. Ummer Fayaz, Sandhu said it is a symbolic dedication to him for others to join us in future.

"To coincide with the 71st Independence Day of our Country Army Goodwill School Behibagh in Kulgam renamed as Shaheed Lt. Ummer Fayaz Goodwill School and Computer museum are being dedicated in the school and simultaneously today in various schools of District Pulwama , Bandipora, Ganderbal, Shopian, and Anantnag in South Kashmir," Sandhu said.

Further adding on the normalcy in the Valley, Sandhu stated that people participating in protests and agitation are reducing.

"The number of protests in Valley and people participating in it are reducing. People are fed up with agitations and want their lives to go on normally, which is a good thing not just for us but for the citizens of the state. We have been fighting terrorism for 27 years but are confident of making major dent and bringing things under control to great extent," he added.

On May 11, a bullet-riddled body of Lieutenant Fayaz was found in Shopian district of south Kashmir hours after he was abducted by militants from a wedding procession.

Lieutenant Fayaz, was posted with 2 Rajputana Rifles and had applied for leave to attend a cousin's wedding in Shopian.

The autopsy report showed marks on his body, indicating that the officer had resisted the suspected militants who had abducted him. He was fired at from a close range, and the bullets had hit his head and stomach or chest region.

Locals said two masked men entered the house at 8 p.m.. The men asked Lt Fayaz, who was unarmed, to accompany them, and warned the family not to inform the police.

The killing caused anger among locals who demanded that the men responsible be identified and punished.