Incident comes weeks after fall of government and days after home minister’s visit to Kashmir.
New Delhi: Three civilians, including a teenage girl, were killed in alleged firing by security forces during clashes with protesters allegedly pelting stones in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir Saturday.
The clashes reportedly broke out between protesters and security forces in Hawoora Mishipora village in Qoimoh area of Kulgam in south Kashmir, officials said. The victims have been identified as Shakir Ahmed Khanday, Irshad Majeed and Andleeb, the teenaged girl.
The incident comes weeks after the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ended its alliance with Mehbooba Mufti’s People’s Democratic Party in Jammu and Kashmir. BJP general secretary Ram Madhav had on June 19 announced that the split was due to a rise in terrorism, violence and radicalisation in the Valley. The state is now under Governor’s rule.
Soon after Saturday’s incident, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a senior Hurriyat Conference leader who is under house arrest, accused security forces of a “massacre” on Twitter. He wrote that forces had fired “indiscriminately” at protesters.
Firing bullets,killing young boys &girls reflects the #GreenSignal given to #IndianArmedForces to wipe off Kashmiri’s with absolute impunity to hold on to their territory.What bravery to massacre those that disagree with you! #Kashmiris refuse to cow down before the Indian might
— Mirwaiz Umar Farooq (@MirwaizKashmir) July 7, 2018
Clashes hours after home minister’s visit
The incident comes less than 48 hours after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s visit to Kashmir to review the security situation and discuss developmental issues in the valley. State Governor N.N. Vohra, the national security adviser, Ajit Doval, union home secretary, Rajiv Gauba, and senior officers of the MHA and the state government were also a part of the high-level meeting.
“With a renewed focus on good governance and development, the Centre is looking forward to kindling new aspirations and hopes amongst the people of the state,” Singh had said. “Development and good governance had remained elusive for the common people of J&K. The solution to problems lies in the empowerment of the people and strengthening the institutions of local self-governance. The dream of a developed and prosperous Jammu and Kashmir would be realised when there is peace and normalcy in the state. It is the government’s firm resolve to bring peace, stability and prosperity through an honest, effective and efficient administration for the problems facing the state,” he had added.
High security, internet services suspended in south Kashmir
Security was beefed up in the Valley, in the wake of the shutdown call by the Joint Resistance Leadership, to protest the arrest of separatist leader and chief of the banned outfit Dukhtaran-e-Millat, Asiya Andrabi, and her two associates by National Investigation Agency Friday.
The authorities have also imposed restrictions in some parts of Kashmir to maintain law and order before the second death anniversary of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.
Wani, a resident of Tral, was killed in an encounter with security forces in Kokernag area of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district on 8 July, 2016.
As a precautionary measure, mobile internet services were also suspended in Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama and Shopian districts in south Kashmir.