Srinagar: Hundreds of Islamic University of Science and Technology, Awantipora, students Wednesday morning offered funeral prayers in absentia to the slain militant Afaq Ahmad Bhat of Karimabad in Pulwama district.

A student of the IUST said that students assembled in the premises of the varsity this morning and offered prayers in absentia for Afaq Ahmad and other militant who were killed in an encounter in Drubgam in Pulwama on Tuesday.

He said that Afaq was studying in fourth semester in Islamic Studies department in the university.

“Since Afaq was our colleague, it was our religious right to offer prayers for him. The university administration did not object to the prayers,” he said. The students dispersed off peacefully after the prayers.

Last week, another student of Islamic Studies department Irshad Ahmad Sheikh of Maldeera Shopian, who had joined Hizb last year, was killed in Shopian in an encounter with army and police.

Both, Afaq and Abdul Manan Dar of Amarbugh, Shopian, were affiliated with Hizbul Mujahideen. (KNS)