Tahir Fazal was known in his area for mobilising the tribal community against Pakistan-trained terrorists to reclaim his native Hill Kaka, which had become a stronghold of terrorists.Fazal, along with his other brother, returned from Saudi Arabia on June 26, 2002, after their brother was killed by terrorists.After getting arms training, Fazal joined the anti-insurgency operations and avenged his brother’s death by eliminating militant Abu Kasiv.
Soon, he would become a veteran of many “kills”.In 2019, Fazal had written to the then Union home minister Rajnath Singh, asking his community a chance to deal with terrorists in Shopian and Anantnag.Paying tribute to a veteran, the Army’s White Knight Corps posted on X, “A Brave Heart laid to Rest — With deep sorrow and immense gratitude, #IndianArmy bid a solemn farewell to Tahis Fazal, a valiant son of the soil who stood shoulder to shoulder with his own troops during Op Sarpvinash in 2003.”Fazal passed away on April 22 in Uttarakhand.Meanwhile, J&K minister Javed Ahmed Rana has condoled veteran Fazal’s death, describing him as an “unsung warrior”.
