SHOPIAN: Two civilians were killed and another injured in Army firing on youth pelting stones on their convoy in South Kashmir’s Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday.
A police officer told New Indian Express that army’s 10 Garhwal Regiment convoy came under stone pelting at Ganowpora village in Shopian district at around 3 pm.
He said youth pelted stones on the army convoy after it passed through Ganowpora.
The area was observing shutdown today to protest the killing of local militant in an encounter with security forces few days back.
The police official said there was no cordon and search operation or anti-militancy operation in the area.
“After the army convoy came under stone pelting, the army men fired on the stone pelting youth. In the army firing, three youth sustained injuries, two of whom succumbed to injuries,” he said.
The deceased were identified as Javiad Ahmad Bhat, 20, son of Abdul Rashid Bhat R/o Balpora, Shopian and Suhail Javaid son of Javaid Ahmad Lone R/o Ganowpora.
The doctors said both had bullet injuries.
“Javaid had bullet injury on head while Suhail had been hit by bullets on abdomen and neck,” they said.
The doctors said third youth injured in army firing identified as Rayees Ahmad Ganaie has been referred to Srinagar hospital for specialised treatment.
“He has been operated by a team of doctors in Srinagar hospital and his condition is being monitored,” they said.
The police official said police station Shopian have registered an FIR No. 26/2018 under sections 302/307 against the army unit involved in firing on the youth.
Tension gripped Ganowpora village and other parts of south Kashmir after the killing of two youth in army firing.
The authorities have imposed restrictions in sensitive parts of south Kashmir to maintain law and order and foil protests.
Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Baseer Ahmad Khan has ordered magisterial probe into the killing of civilian killings in Shopian.
Deputy Commissioner Shopian, Muhammad Aijaz has been appointed as the inquiry officer to probe the killings and directed to submit the inquiry report within 15 days.
Defence spokesman in Srinagar, Colonel Rajesh Kalia said army fired in self defence after their vehicle came under heavy stone pelting and attempt was made to lynch a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO).
“At about 3 pm an army administrative convoy was passing through Ganowpora chowk in Shopian when it came under unprovoked and intense stone pelting by a group of 100-120 youth,” he said.
Kalia said the crowd surrounded an isolated portion of the convoy comprising four vehicles. “They caused extensive damage to the vehicles and tried to set them on fire. A JCO accompanying the convoy got hit on the head and fell unconscious suffering serious injury”.
He claimed that mob tried to lynch the individual and snatch his weapon.
“The crowd further closed in towards the vehicles and attempted to set them on fire. Considering the extreme gravity of the situation, army was constrained to open fire in self defence to prevent lynching of the JCO and burning of government vehicle by the mob,” he said.
The spokesman said seven army men suffered injuries and extensive damage was caused to 11 vehicles. “In the process two civilians succumbed to the bullet injuries,” he added.
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti strongly condemned the killing of civilians.
An official spokesman said Mehbooba also spoke to Defence Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman and expressed anguish over the loss of lives in the incident.
“Every civilian killing, notwithstanding how erroneously made, impairs the political process in the State which has been put on track after hard work by all political parties,” she told her.
The spokesman said Defence Minister assured Mehbooba that she would seek a detailed report in this regard and would impress upon the field formations that mechanisms put in place are strictly adhered to so that such incidents do not recur in future.
The separatist leaders have also condemned the killing of two civilians in army firing in Shopian and called for shutdown in Valley tomorrow.