Shopian killings put Kashmir on edge

Srinagar, Mar 05 (KNB): With the fresh killing of six persons in Shopian area of south Kashmir on Sunday night which include two militants and four youth, the uncertainty has knocked the doors of Kashmir valley yet again at the beginning of summer season. This is the second time this year that civilians have been killed in army firing and the incident could spark unrest.
The death toll in South Kashmir’s Shopian district rose to six on Monday after authorities recovered the bodies of a second suspected militant and another individual. Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police SP Vaid said they had also recovered two weapons from the suspected militants.
“On the basis of the docket received from the army it is learnt that the MVCP of army located near Pahnoo in Shopian was fired upon from a swift vehicle The army retaliated in which a militant was killed and three individuals who were accompanying the said militant in the vehicle also succumbed to their injuries,” said a police spokesman in a statement to Kashmir News Bureau and added dead body of one more militant recovered at Saidpora in jurisdiction of PS Hurpora Shopian.



The slain militants have been identified as Ashiq Hussain Bhat resident of Rakh Kapran and Shahid Ahmad Dar , a resident of Jamnagri, Shopian. The four deceased youth have been identified as Suhail Khaleel Wagay of Pinjoora, Mohammad Shahid Khan of Malikgund, Shahnawaz Ahmad Wagay of Trenz and Gowhar Ahmed Lone of Chitragam all from Shopian district.
To avoid law and order problem, the government not only snapped the high speed Internet in the length and breadth of Kashmir but also announced closure of Education institutes at a time when schools were proposed to open on Monday following a long break of winter vacations. The authorities also imposed restrictions in parts of Srinagar, Pulwama and Shopian districts of Jammu and Kashmir.



Breaking her silence over the incident Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti tweets “ Deeply distressed by more deaths of civilians caught in the crossfire in Shopian. My heartfelt condolences to the deceased’s families.”
Meanwhile Joint Resistance leadership comprising of Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik called Valley wide shutdown evoked a positive as the business establishment remain closed on Monday.
The JRL led by Yasin Malik also tried to march towards Lal Chowk against the killings, however, they were arrested by police and lodged in Central Jail Srinagar. The JRL asked people to march towards Shopian on 7th march 2018 and pay homage to martyrs and also observe complete shutdown against shifting of Kashmiri inmates from Srinagar to Jammu.
Speaking to KNB, senior Hurriyat Confernce leader Engineer Hilal Ahmad War termed the killings a well thought out genocide policy of Indian Government Forces in Kashmir. He said “the gruesome killing of 4 civilian youth in particular by the Indian Army in a stage managed encounter yesterday in Shopian is a glaring example of Indian Genocide Policy in Kashmir whose script writer is Home Ministry of India.”
“If the killer cops are not punished, the entire population of Kashmir will be constrained to go for an all out war with India,” Engineer War added.
Despite strict restriction hundreds of people led by MLA Langate Sheikh Abdul Rasheed joined march in Handwara against Shopian killings and appealed world community to take notice of sufferings of Kashmiris.
Pertinent to mention here, on 27th January, this at three youth civilians were killed in government forces action in same district. (KNB)