A day after Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti announced that she ‘will probe excesses by security forces if committed’five unarmed civilians were killed and 27 others injured on Tuesday as government forces opened fire on protesters in Central and South Kashmir. The first incident occurred at Aripanthan area where more than two dozen persons had suffered injuries two of them critically on Monday morning.Narrating the incident, the locals told news agency CNS that the villagers hit to roads on Monday night when government forces tried to raid different houses. The locals foiled the attempts of police to get some youth arrested from the area during nocturnal raids. Due to heavy protest the government forces retreated from the village.“On Tuesday morning, some people mostly youth ventured out from their houses to get newspapers copies from the local shops. Central Reserve Police Force personnel stationed at Magam Police Station along with a police party suddenly emerged in the area and targeted youth with tear-smoke shells. As youth tried to enter into the village, government forces followed them with lobbing tear-smoke shells while some of them barged into the houses, ransacking them and smashed windowpanes of the residential houses,” the locals said.They added that shortly after the ‘unprovoked’ shelling from the government forces, the villagers mostly youth assembled and hit to roads protesting against the highhandedness of the government forces. “Some of the youth pelted stones on the forces, who retaliated with bullets and pellets killing a youth on spot while leaving more than two dozen people including women wounded.
There was hubbub, hue and cry everywhere. Some locals tried to shift critically injured to Magam Hospital, however police blocked the road and didn’t allow injured to get shifted to hospital, forcing people to return and admit in Sub-District Hospital Beerwah where doctors shifted three of them to Srinagar hospital,” locals said.“So far we have received five dead bodies in the village. Thousands of people from adjoining villages including Warihama, Rothsun, Makhama, Beerwah, Kandhama, Ohungam, Gamboora, Lolipora, Chedara arrived in the village and organized a massive anti-India protest,” the locals told CNS and identified the slain youth as Javaid Ahmed Sheikh (17) son of Ghulam Rasool, Manzoor Ahmed Lone (29) son of Muhammad Akram, Muhammad Ashraf Wani (32) son of Ghulam Muhammad, Javaid Ahmed Najar (16) son of Ghulam Rasool, all residents of Aripanth Beerwah. They said that all the slain youth had received bullets in the head. More than two dozen injured including women according to eyewitnesses are being treated in different hospitals. Hospital sources said that two youth from the same Aripanth village admitted in SKIMS are still critical. Sources identified these youth as Touqeer Ahmed Bhat (12) son of Muhammad Shafi and Farooq Ahmed Bhat (16) son of Sanaullah Bhat.Contradicting the claims made by locals, a police official said that protesters targeted a CRPF contingent that was passing through the road. “In a bid to stop youth from targeting them, CRPF retaliated resulting in the casualties,” he said. Another police said that CRPF personnel from 43 Battalion resorting to tear-gas shelling and firing after hundreds of youth targeted them with stones.
In the second incident from South Kashmir, a youth identified as Amir Ganie son of Muhammad Yusuf Ganie of Naidpora was killed when forces opened fire at protesters at Larkipora Anantnag on Tuesday. Majid Mehrab, Medical Superindentent Anantnag hospital confirmed to CNS that the youth was brought dead in the hospital. He said that youth has died due to bullet injury. Reports said that the killing sparked widespread protests in Naidpora, Larkipora and its adjoining areas. Thousands of people carried out a pro-freedom procession in the area.Locals said that before killing the youth at Larkipora the Army personnel from 19 RR created havoc in Dayalgam. They added that an Army patrolling party appeared in Dayalgam area and ordered some youth to remove the Pakistani flags from the village. The Army men according to locals thrashed people and barged into the houses, created havoc. The action of the army sparked protest forcing Army to fled from the village. The locals told CNS that the same patrolling party entered into Larkipora village where they shot dead the youth. Reports said that agitated youth shortly after the death of the local youth Amir Ganie torched the house of a local Sajad Ahmed working for Territorial Army.
The locals alleged that it was Sajad who instigated Army against the local population. Clashes erupted in Kurhama and Borsu areas of central Kashmir’s Ganderbal District after Army troopers allegedly ransacked houses and smashed windowpanes of residential houses. Locals alleged that the Army didn’t even allow peaceful protests in the areas and barged into houses to terrorize the people. They alleged that Badampora unit of Amry entered into the village in scores of vehicles on Tuesday afternoon at 12:15 and left at 3:30 pm. The locals said that Army created havoc in the village and not only smashed house items but also loot precious belonings. At Kurhama according to eyewitnesses there was confrontation between police and Army after the former objected to use of force on the protesters by the later. Reports said that several persons were injured during the clashes. Srinagar based Defence spokesperson was not available for comments as his cell phone was switched off.Pertinently, Kashmir is under curfew after the death of Hizbul Mujhadeen commander Burhan Wani on July 8 triggered a wave of protests. 67 people including two cops have died and thousands injured in clashes with troops that began on July 9. (CNS)