AhlulBayt News Agency - Paramilitary forces battling to quell pro-Azadi street protests in Kashmir shot dead five more people on Tuesday in Budgam and Anantnag districts while normal life remained paralysed for the 39th consecutive day due to curfew, restrictions and protest strike.
With the fresh deaths, the toll in the ongoing unrest in the Kashmir Valley has now gone up to 70.
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 said that the villagers hit to roads on Monday night when J&K Police backed by CRPF raided several houses. The residents however raised an alarm and beat back police who had come to arrest local youth during the nocturnal raid. Due to heavy protest the government forces retreated from the village, they said.
“On Tuesday morning, some people mostly youth ventured out from their houses to get newspapers 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 belongings and smashing windowpanes,” the locals alleged.
They added that shortly after the ‘unprovoked’ shelling from the government forces, the villagers mostly youth assembled and started 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 the spot while leaving more than two dozen people including several women wounded.
The police action created chaos in the area. Some locals tried to shift critically injured to Magam Hospital, however police blocked the road and disallowed injured to be shifted to hospital, forcing people to return and admit them in Sub-District Hospital Beeru. However doctors there referred three of the critically wounded to Srinagar,” locals said.
“So far we have received four 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,” CNS quoting residents reported.
The report 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 Aripanthan Beeru.
They said that all the slain youth had received bullets above their chests. 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 Aripanthan village admitted in SKIMS are still critical. Sources identified them as Touqeer Ahmed Bhat (12) son of Muhammad Shafi and Farooq Ahmed Bhat (16) son of Sanaullah Bhat.
Refuting the claims made by residents, 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 statement said that CRPF personnel from 43 Battalion resorted 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 paramilitary forces opened fire at protesters at Larkipora Anantnag Tuesday afternoon.
According to Majid Mehrab, Medical Superindentent Anantnag hospital Amir was brought dead in the hospital. He said that youth had 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 patrol 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, sparking panic. The action of the army sparked protest forcing soldiers to flee from the village.
Residents alleged that the same patrol party later entered Larkipora village where they shot dead the youth. Reports said that agitated youth shortly after the death of Amir torched the house of a local Sajjad Ahmed who is working for Territorial Army.
Clashes erupted in Kurhama and Borsu areas of central Kashmir’s Ganderbal District after Army soldiers allegedly ransacked houses and smashed windowpanes of residential houses.Residents 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 Army entered into the village in scores of vehicles on Tuesday at 12:15 PM and left at 3:30 pm. The locals said that the irate army personnel not only smashed house hold items but also looted 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 commander Burhan Wani on July 8 triggered a wave of protests. 70 people have died and thousands injured in clashes with government forces that began on July 9.
List of 70 persons Killed in 39 Days of Protests:
District Anantnag
1) Ashraf Ahmad Dar of Halpora Kokernag
2) Shahid Hamid Margay of Larnoo Kokernag
3) Danish Ayoub Shah of Achabal
4) Sajjad Ahmad Thokar of Utroosa Achabal
5) Aqib Manzoor of Khundru Achabal
6) Habibullah Malla of Brenti Achabal
7) Aamir Khan of Batapora Verinag
8) Safeer Bhat of Sarigam Aishmuqam
9) Aijaz Thokur of Siligam Aishmuqam
10) Imtiyaz Mandoo of Nandpora Anantnag
11) Bilal Shah of Dooru Anantnag
12) Haseeb Ganai of Khanabal Anantnag
13) Mushtaq Dar of Ujroo, Dooru Anantnag
14) Javed Ahmad of Anantnag
15) Hilal Ahmad of Harnag, Anantnag
16) Showkat Ahmad of Hassanpora Bijbehara
17) Jahangir Ganai of Hassanpora Bijbehara
18) Abdul Majeed Mochi of Arwani Bijbehara
19) Ishfaq Ahmed of Kokernag
20) Amir Nazir Latoo of Baba Mohalla, Bijbehara
21) Manzoor Ahmad Bhat of Doonipawa, Anantnag
22) Amir Yousuf Ganaie of Larkipora Dooru Anantnag
District Kulgam
23) Mashooq Ahmad Rather of Kund Qazigund
24)Zubair Khanday of Kolepora Qaimoh Kulgam
25) Yasmina Rehman of Damhal Kulgam
26) Rashid Kumhar of Damhal, Kulgam
27) Feroz Mir of Begummilo Kulgam
28) Mushtaq Ahmed Dar of Hawoora Mishpora Kulgam
29) Irfan Maqsood Dar of Bugund Kulgam
30) Khursheed Mir of Harwat Kulgam
31) Javaid Ahmad Lone of Khudwani Kulgam
32) Syeda Bano of Cheirut Qazigund
33) Showkat Ahmad Ittu of Cheirut Qazigund
34) Nelufar Akhtar of Chowgam Qazigund
District Shopian
35) Muzaffar Hussain Bhat of Kigam Shopian
36) Aazad Thokar of Pudsoo Shopian
37) Jahgangir Pandit of Trenz Shopian
38) Muneer Pandit of Trenz Shopian
39) Shahid Gulzar of Zainapora Shopian
40) Bilal Shan of Zawoora Shopian
41)Sayar Ahmad Kumhar of Chitragam, Shopian
42) Asif Gulzar Bhat of Chitragam, Kalan, Shopian
43)Amir Bashir Lone of Sedow Shopian
District Pulwama
44) Altaf Rather of Rajpora Pulwama
45) Irfan Malik of Warwan Pulwama
46) Fayaz Waza of Nikloora Pulwama
47) Zahoor Ahmad Mantoo of Kakapora Pulwama (Drowned)
48) Mushtaq Ahmad Bhat of Awantipur
49) Farooq Ahmed Kuchay of Lethpiora, Awantipora
50) Bilal Ahmad Malik of Zadoora Pulwama
51) Suhail Ahmad Wani of Lethpora Pulwama
District Kupwara
52) Showkat Ahmed Malik of Hutmulla Kupwara
53) Sheikh Zahoor of Warsoo Kupwara
54) Ghulam Mohi-ud-din Mir of Khumriyal Kupwara
55) Mushtaq Ahmad Ganaie of Khumrial Kupwara
District Srinagar
56) Shabir Mir of Tengpora Bund Srinagar
57) Hilal Ahmad, Tengpora Srinagar
58) Sameer Ahmed of Khonmoh, Srinagar
59) Riyaz Ahmad Shah of Chattabal, Srinagar
60) Muhammad Yasir Shiekh of Batamaloo Srinagar
District Budgam61) Mohd Maqbool Wagay of Chadoora, Budgam
62) Sameer Ahmad Wani of Mullanaroo Khansahab
63)Javed Ahmad Najar of Aripanthan, Beeru
64)Javed Ahmad Sheikh of Aripanthan, Beeru
65)Manzoor Ahmad Lone of Aripanthan, Beeru
66)Mohammad Ashraf Bhat of Aripanthan, Beeru
District Baramulla
67) Ishfaq Ahmed Dar of Tarzoo, Sopore
68) Danish Rasool Mir of Wagoora, Baramulla
69)Ishfaq Ahmad Bhat of Tangmarg Baramulla
70) Feroz Ahmad a Police SPO (killed in mob attack)
/298