Army lieutenant abducted, killed by militants in Kashmir

An Army lieutenant was abducted in Kashmir Tuesday night by militants, the Army said, shot and killed, and his body disposed of. 

The officer's bullet-riddled body was found this morning in the Shopian district of South Kashmir. 

The Army identified the officer as Lt. Ummer Fayaz. 

Fayaz was Kashmiri. His home was in Kulgam district. 

The Army said he was a keen sportsman, good at hockey and basketball. 

They added that he had joined the Army last December, and that he was with the 2 Rajput Rifles.  

"The Army commits to bring the perpetrators of this heinous act to justice," news reports quoted an Army spokesman as saying. 

The new reports added that Ummer's father was an orchard owner.

Ummer was home on leave, attending a wedding in the family, when he was abducted.

News reports said his family had been too scared to report the matter.

They had hoped that he would be returned alive.

Sadly, that was not to be.

Meanwhile, defence minister Arun Jaitley called Ummer's killing a "dastardly act of cowardice". 

"Abduction & murder of Lt. Ummer Fayaz by terrorists in Shopian is a dastardly act of cowardice. This young officer from J&K was a role model," he wrote on Twitter. 

(WION)