Online
SRINAGAR
In occupied Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred four more Kashmiris at Bandipura.
Four Indian soldiers were also killed in gunbattles in the second outbreak of violence between security forces and Kashmiris.
Three soldiers and a freedom fighter died in a shootout in North Kashmir’s Bandipora district, as a joint army and police team mounted a search following a tip-off that gunmen were in the area, a defense spokesman said. Five soldiers were wounded.
Earlier, three Indian soldiers were killed and nine including a CRPF commanding officer and one army major were injured in the encounter in the area. A civilian identified as Hilal Ahmad Parrey was also injured. In Saderkoot area of Bandipora, over a dozen people were injured during anti-India protest demonstrations. Five of them sustained pellet injuries.
Meanwhile, people of Jammu and Kashmir will march towards Kulgam, tomorrow, to express solidarity with the families of the six youth martyred by Indian troops at Firsal in the district on Sunday. Call for the march has been given by the joint Hurriyet leadership comprising Syed Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik.
The leaders while condemning the killings said that Indian forces were involved in serious war crimes in the occupied territory. They said that trigger-happy Indian forces fired to kill and their agents in democratic garbs rush to justify these gruesome killings.
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq addressing a panel discussion through a recorded video on ‘Kashmir-Breaking The Impasse” held at the Harvard Kennedy School for Business and Government presented the Kashmir conflict in its historical and current context. He shared the tremendous pain and suffering that the people of Kashmir were going through with the participants. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said that the most simple and democratic way to resolve the conflict was the execution of promised referendum.
On the other hand, normal life remained paralysed due to the strike in Kulgam, Shopian, Bandipora and Pulwama areas, today, against the killings. Scores of Kashmir University students held a protest in Srinagar against the highhandedness of the men in uniform.
Situation in Kishtwar is tense after the death of a Muslim youth, who perished after falling from a mountain top to escape police chase near Bindrabal in the Jammu region. The deceased youth has been identified as Touseef Nawaz, a resident of Malipath, Kishtwar. Imam of Jamia Masjid Kishtwar, Farooq Ahmed Kichloo announced a complete shutdown for tomorrow to press for immediate arrest of culprit police personnel.
