An Army officer consoles a relative of the slain soldier in Anantnag district on Friday. Tribune Photo: Amin War

Suhail A Shah

Anantnag, February 24

Army men today gave a gun salute to Lance Naik Ghulam Mohiuddin Rather who was buried at his native Panchpora village in Anantnag district.A few hundred people, including Rather’s relatives and neighbours, attended his funeral prayers today. Most of the mourners were from the Army. Rather was among the three Army men killed in a militant ambush in Mool Chitragam village of Shopian district in the wee hours of Thursday. Five more soldiers, including two officers, were injured in the deadly ambush.On Wednesday evening, Rather (35) had cut short the call to his family, promising to call again in the morning.The family did, however, receive a call on Thursday morning but it was not from Rather. It was a call from his unit in Katho-Halan village of Shopian district, informing the family that Rather was no more.Rather, who was the only son of his parents, had joined the Army in April 2002 at the age of twenty. He was contemplating premature retirement. “He wanted to take care of his ailing parents and marry off his sister after taking premature retirement, for which he would have been eligible in a couple of months,” said Abdul Rehman, Rather’s relative.Rather’s mother is suffering from brain tumour while his father has a physical and mental disability, making him completely dependent on others.“Their son was their only hope and they were looking forward to his retirement to make ends meet,” said Saleem Ahmad, Rather’s neighbour, who described the slain soldier as the humblest soul in the neighbourhood.Locals told The Tribune that Rather was a hardworking family man. They said he had got his sister engaged a week ago, which was also the last time he had visited home.“His aged parents are devastated, but the worst hit are his sister, wife and his two-year-old son, who doesn’t even know what has happened,” said Rather’s another relative, pointing towards his two-year-old son Ahil Mohiuddin who was playing in the courtyard.At their single-storeyed house, where the family has recently moved in, Rather’s wife, Shahzada Akhter, was inconsolable and neighbours took turns to pacify her.

Killed in Shopian ambush

• Lance Naik Ghulam Mohiuddin Rather was among the three Army men killed in a militant ambush in Mool Chitragam village of Shopian district in the wee hours of Thursday. He had joined the Armyin April 2002
• A few hundred people, including Rather’s relatives and neighbours, attended his funeral prayers on Friday. Most of the mourners were from the Army