Conflict

Armed forces taking civilian human shields for operations against militants unacceptable, says KCCI

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The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), a premiere trade body of Kashmir, has expressed grief and sorrow over the bloodshed in Shopian and Anantnag. 

According to the KCCI the decision makers for such operations do not preempt the post operation consequences which result in horror inflicted upon the people of Kashmir. KCCI said that the people have been advocating the removal of AFSPA that gives unquestionable power to armed forces. 

In a statement, the KCCI said, “armed forces knowing well the whereabouts of these militants chose a civilian as a human shield who reportedly later got killed. What later followed was brute force in which scores of civilians who had been protesting against the civilian killing, were hit by pellets and bullets.”

KCCI reiterated its demand to stop further bloodshed, removal of draconian laws forthwith and start of unconditional continuous dialogue between all stake holders for the peaceful settlement of Kashmir issue.

Thirteen militants were killed in separate gunfights at Dragad and Kachdor villages of Shopian on Sunday.

One militant Rouf Bashir Khanday was killed and his associate Imran Rashid was arrested during an overnight gunfight at Brunty Dialgam in Anantnag district.

The Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) of Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Yasin Malik on Sunday called for a Kashmir-wide shutdown. The shutdown call initially was for Sunday and Monday, but was later extended to Tuesday.

Four civilian youth were killed, while a dozen others were injured near the gunfight sites, and the clashes that followed.

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