Funeral held for Kashmir man killed in front of grandson

A funeral prayer was held in Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir for Bashir Ahmed Khan.

His family say the grandfather was dragged from his car by Indian security forces and shot dead.

“When we went to the spot, we asked some people here what happened,” one of Khan’s nephews said.

“They told us that the [Hizbol] Mujahideen attacked the security forces, and in that process, they lost numerous security persons. And to take revenge, they took my uncle out of his car, when he was carrying his grandson in his lap, and they blasted him on the back.”

Indian police dispute that account and say he was killed in crossfire between rebels and security forces. 

It is unclear why Khan’s body was found on the road instead of inside his car and why his grandson was pictured sitting on top of the body in a photo that has gone viral. 

The traumatised child was later filmed inside a security force vehicle.

Since January alone, at least 229 people have been killed in military operations across Indian-administered Kashmir including 32 civilians, 54 government personnel and 143 rebels.

India has more than 500,000 troops stationed in Kashmir.

Rebel groups have fought for decades to overturn Indian rule in the region which is also claimed by Pakistan. 

This report was produced and edited by Al Jazeera NewsFeed’s Hassan Ghani.