Conflict

Kulgam Killings: Youth clash with forces in Kupwara, Handwara

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Srinagar: Clashes broke out between youth and armed forces in Drugmulla and Bumhama areas of Kupwara district on Thursday.

Reports said that youth took to streets and staged protests against the killing of four youth in forces’ action in Kulgam on Wednesday.

Police and paramilitary forces chased away the youth after vehicular movement was disrupted near Bumhama and Drugmulla due to the protests. However, youth regrouped and clashed with the forces.

A police official said the situation was under control and the protesters were dispersed without using much force.

Reports of clashes also came in from Handwara district too.

Meanwhile, a complete shutdown is being observed against the killings on the call of Joint Resistance Leadership. Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq have been placed under house arrest while Mohammad Yasin Malik has been put under custody.

Restrictions have been imposed in Srinagar city on Thursday to prevent any protests against the killings.

Meanwhile, nocturnal protests were held by the female hosteliers of Kashmir University late last night against the killing of four civilians.

The students gathered outside their hostel around 10:15 pm, and raised anti-India and pro-freedom slogans to register their protest against the killings.

Four civilians were killed in the clashes which erupted near the gunfight site in Khudwani. However the police in a statement said that the civilians were killed in ‘crossfire’. 

The search operation at the gunfight site was called off by the forces after no bodies of the militants were recovered from the debris of the house which was blasted during the gunfight.

Earlier, forces said a search operation was launched to retrieve the militant bodies from the site. However, no militant bodies were recovered from the debris. The militants managed to escape from the site.

The police in another statement said that the militants escaped after taking cover of the crowd which had gathered near the gun fight site.

Forces had earlier detonated the house in which the militants were trapped by using explosives, razing it to the ground. Two adjacent houses also caught fire. To fight the trapped militants, Army had even used helicopter gun ships. 

It’s pertinent to mention that the civilian killings occured  just days after Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti met the Prime Minister and Defence Minister of India. In her meeting with Narendra Modi, she had appealed for finding ways to end the bloodshed and alienation in the valley.

During her meeting with Nirmala Sitharaman, Mehbooba had called for a ‘humane approach and avoiding collateral damage during security operations’.

 

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