The bodies of two militants who were killed along with another associate were exhumed on Thursday, more than a month after they were buried near line of control (LoC) in Machil sector of north Kashmir's Kupwara district as unidentified. An official of the administration told that the permission for exhumation of the bodies was granted today after DNA samples matched with their kin.
"Today in the evening the bodies of Zahid Rashid Bhat son of Abdul Rashid Bhat of Braihad, Katapora, Yaripora in Kulgam and Nissar Ahmad Bhat son of Ghulam Rasool Bhat of Krad Shangus, Anantnag were exhumed from the Machil sector and handed over to the respective families," the official said. One of the relative of the slain said that bodies will be buried in respective native villages tomorrow. "We expect to reach respective villages by mid-night and both the bodies will be buried tomorrow," he said. The exhumation followed submission of applications by the families before the district magistrate Kupwara after they saw pictures of their kin through social media and later at concerned police station.
The families also provided DNA samples as part of procedure for establishing identity. The DNA reports were received by the administration yesterday and subsequently families were informed who reached Kupwara today for carrying out the exhumation. The duo were claimed to have been killed by army along with another associate in Machil sector on June 6. Army's Srinagar based defence spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia had said that the infiltration bid was foiled in Machil sector by killing the three militants.