Suspected militants abduct soldier, burn his vehicle in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam

Suspected militants abducted an Indian Army soldier and set ablaze his private vehicle in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Sunday evening.

“Rifleman Shakir Manzoor of 162 Battalion (TA), is missing since 1700hrs yesterday. His abandoned burnt car has been found near #Kulgam. It is suspected that the soldier has been abducted by terrorists. Search op in progress (sic),” Army’s Srinagar-based 15-Corps tweeted.

The militants intercepted the car of Manzoor, a resident of neighboring Shopian district, who works with Territorial Army (TA), near Damhal Hanjipora in Kulgam, 80 km from here, sources said. The soldier was abducted while the vehicle was burnt down.

In May 2017, Lieutenant Umar Fayaz, who had gone home in Shopian to attend the marriage ceremony of his relative, was first abducted and then killed by the militants. The same year, BSF constable Mohammad Ramzan Parray was dragged out of his house in north Kashmir’s Hajin town and killed.

Similarly, another soldier, Aurangzeb was killed by militants June 2018 in Pulwama while as army man Muhammad Rafiq Yatoo of Warpora, Sopore of JAKLI was killed in April 2019.

The TA is part of the regular Indian Army. Its role is to relieve the regular Army from static duties and assist civil administration in dealing with natural calamities and maintenance of essential services in situations where life of the communities is affected or the security of the country is threatened. The Territorial Army also provides uniformed units for the regular Army as and when required.