This two-time bravery awardee fought till his last

SRINAGAR: Even before he could fully celebrate the gallantry medal awarded to him earlier this month CRPF Constable Mohommad Yasin Teli embarked on yet another dangerous mission to hunt down the fidayeen at District Police Lines in Pulwama

Updated At : 06:04 AM Aug 28, 2017 IST

CRPF men carry the coffins of their colleagues at a wreath-laying ceremony in Srinagar. Tribune photo

Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, August 27

Even before he could fully celebrate the gallantry medal awarded to him earlier this month, CRPF Constable Mohommad Yasin Teli embarked on yet another dangerous mission to hunt down the fidayeen at District Police Lines in Pulwama.

The 32-year-old Teli, who was conferred the Director General CRPF Commendation Disc on Independence Day, took on the heavily armed fidayeen on Saturday. This time, however, luck did not favour him and he was killed in the last leg of the gunfight.

Hundreds of people today attended his funeral in north Kashmir’s Pattan, a marked change from the existing trend of militants’ last rites attracting huge crowds.

Teli, who belonged to 115 CRPF Battalion, was a member of the Valley’s Quick Action Team and was deputed from Srinagar to Pulwama after three fidayeen stormed the police complex.

“He was critically wounded during the room-to-room intervention along with another jawan. Both security personnel later succumbed to their injuries,” a senior CRPF officer said.

Deputy Inspector General, CRPF, Baramulla, Rajesh Kumar lauded the bravery of Teli, who joined the force in 2007. “He was member of the special operations team of the CRPF. He was martyred while fighting the Jaish fidayeen. Last year, when a fidayeen attack took place in Nowhatta (old Srinagar), he was awarded a gallantry medal for the operation. This year on August 15, he was also awarded DG CRPF Commendation Disc for an operation in Budgam,” Yadav said.

Teli’s grief-stricken sister Haneefa said the family was proud that he had laid down his life for the nation. “We are proud that he died for the nation. But with his going, now we four sisters, one brother and an ailing father have no support,” she said.

Eight security men, including four policemen and four CRPF men, were killed in the fidayeen attack in Pulwama district on Saturday. Three Jaish fidayeen were also killed in the 18-hour gunfight.

Meanwhile, J&K Police chief Shesh Paul Vaid led police and security forces personnel in paying homage and last respects to the slain police personnel at District Police Lines in Awantipora, Pulwama.

The martyred policemen have been identified as Constable Imtiyaz Ahmad, Special Police Officers Mohammad Yousuf Hajam and Rafiq Ahmad Hajam, and nursing orderly Amarjeet Singh.