Day after truce ended in Jammu and Kashmir, four civilians used as human shield

A fresh video has now gone viral, showing security personnel using civilians to protect themselves from stone-pelters in the strife-torn region.
Representational image.
Representational image.

SRINAGAR: About a year after the infamous human shield incident in Kashmir was first reported, a fresh video has now gone viral, showing security personnel using civilians to protect themselves from stone-pelters in the strife-torn region.

The video, which was shot on June 18, shows four youngsters sitting in front of a vehicle belonging to the security forces. Youth can be heard chanting anti-India slogans and taunting the personnel saying, “They have kept our colleagues in front so we do not throw stones at them.”

Amid the chants, they do not pelt stones at the security forces, but challenge the personnel to set the youngsters free and take them on.

The incident took place in Choonimal Mohalla of Samboora area in Pampore, Pulwama district, a day after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh called off the Ramzan ceasefire and directed forces to resume anti-militancy operations.

The security forces had launched a joint cordon-and-search operation in Samboora area after receiving information about the presence of militants there. During the operation, the police, CRPF and army personnel came under intense stone pelting by youngsters from the region, who feared that militants had been caught and were trying to pave the way for their escape.

To deter the stone-pelters, the forces caught four youngsters and forced them to sit in front of a police vehicle, surrounded by security personnel.

A senior police official said the veracity of the video was being ascertained.

On April 9 last year, army men led by Major Gogoi tied a civilian to the bonnet of an army vehicle and paraded him across over a dozen villages to deter youth from stone-pelting. The incident took place when bypolls were held for Srinagar parliamentary seat.

Youth tried to help militants
During a cordon-and-search operation in Pampore of Pulwama district, youngsters feared that the forces had nabbed militants. In a bid to help the militants escape, they started pelting stones at the personnel

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