Four civilians were killed in fresh firing incident in Arpanthan Beerwa in Central Kashmir’s Budgam district and one civilian was killed in a similar firing incident in Larkipora village of Dooru area in South Kashmir’s Anantnag distict.With this the death tolls in the current phase of public unrests has risen to sixty five. More than a dozen people were injured in clashes in different parts of Kashmir.Reports said four protesters were killed in fresh firing by the paramilitary CRPF men in Aripanthan village of Central Kashmir’s Budgam district. Aripanthan Beerwa in Budgam district. The four civilians killed in Aripanthan village have been identified as Javaid Ahmed Sheikh (Age, 17yrs) S/O Ghulam Rasool, Manzoor Ahmed Lone (Age,29 yrs) S/O Muhammad Akram, Muhammad Ashraf Wani ( Age,32 yrs) S/O Ghulam Muhammad and Javaid Ahmed Najar (Age,16 yrs) S/O Ghulam Rasool, all residents of Aripanthan Beerwah. Police said Farooq Ahmad Bhat S/O Sonaullah Bhat critically injured in Aripanthan clashes is battling for life in a critical condition at SKIMS Soura.
The other injured admitted at SKIMS Soura are Touqeer Ahmed Bhat (Age, 12 yrs) S/O Muhammad Shafi Bhat and Farooq Ahmed Bhat (Age, 16yrs) S/O Sonaullah Bhat and Hajira Begum and Ab Hamid Lone. Police registered a case under FIR No: 147/2016 at P/S Magam and Syed Fayaz Hussain SDPO Magam has been appointed inquiry officer to probe the Aripanthan firing incident. Locals said the CRPF men resorted to unprovoked firing on a group of civilians who had raised some barricades on the road to enforce the shut down the call for which has been already given by the joint separatist leadership in a protest calendar.A top police official when contacted said police was not accompanying the CRPF convoy which is alleged to have resorted to unprovoked firing and killed four civilians.However PRO Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) when contacted told KNS “Reports of unprovoked firing on protestors by CRPF men at Aripanthan Beerwa are baseless. Twenty two (22) CRPF men including an officer were injured in clashes with protestors at Aripanthan Beerwa”.In the second firing incident a youth identified as Amir Ganie S/OMohd Yusuf Ganaie R/O Naidpora was killed and about one dozen people were injured when forces opened fire on a group of protesters at Larkipora Anantnag.
When contacted Majid Mehrab, Medical Superindentent Anantnag hospital said the “youth was brought dead to the hospital. He has died due to bullet injuries”.
KNS Correspondent Tassaduq Hussain reported from Anantnag that the killing of the youth triggered protests in Naidpora, Larkipora and other parts of the Dooru areas of South Kashmir’s Anantnag district. Thousands of people carried out a pro-freedom rally in the area. Locals told KNS Correspondent Tassaduq Hussain that before killing the youth at Larkipora an army patrolling party appeared in Diyalgam area and asked some youth to remove the Pakistani flags from the village. The Army men according to locals barged into the residential houses and people in the area were panicked. The action of the army sparked protests and angered troopers fled from the village late, locals said. The locals said the same patrolling party entered into Larkipora village where they shot dead the youth.Meanwhile curfew and separatist shutdown continued in Kashmir on Tuesday for the 39th consecutive day. Police said curfew and restrictions will continue in all the 10 district headquarters of the Valley. Joint separatist leadership has already extended their protest shutdown to August 18. (KNS)