Conflict
Gunmen in Kulgam reportedly abduct owner of house where gunfight, blast took place
Srinagar: Unknown gunmen on Saturday abducted the owner of a house where a gunfight and a blast took place in Laroo village of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district.
Reports in the daily Greater Kashmir said that gunmen abducted Sheeraz Ahmad Bhat from Laroo village.
Seven civilians were killed in Kulgam in a powerful explosion after a gunfight in Laroo village of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district in which three militants were killed.
In the aftermath of the killing restrictions were clamped in Srinagar’s Old City, to foil any protests against the Kulgam killings.
In Nowhatta, Rajouri Kadal, Saraf Kadal, Maharaj Gunj, Gojwara, Khanyar, Safa Kadal and other areas of the Old City, armed forces keept a tight vigil to keep protesters at bay, witnesses said.
The news about the Kulgam killings spread like wild fire and public movement in Srinagar city and major towns of Kashmir valley virtually came to a grinding halt as passenger transport vehicles were rarely moving on very few roads in the Srinagar city.
In a statement on Sunday evening, the Joint Resistance Leadership said that Kashmir has been turned into “a slaughterhouse where no one—young, old, children or women—is safe.”
Calling the Kulgam killings as ‘terrible news’, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday asked “how long can the ground realities be ignored and living in denial of bad situation in Kashmir.”
“Terrible news coming out from Kulgam.May the deceased find place in Jannat. Alienating the people in the fight against militancy is a sure fire recipe for losing the fight. How long can we go on ignoring the ground realities & living in denial about how bad things are in Kashmir?” Omar wrote on Twitter.
PDP President and former Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti also expressed shock over the death of seven civilians and injuries to scores others in Kulgam.
Kashmir Economic Alliance chairperson (KEA) Muhammad Yaseen Khan on Sunday strongly condemned the innocent killings in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district which has left seven civilians dead and dozens seriously injured.
Blaming government forces for carrying a ‘planned massacre’ in state, KTMF president termed it sheer cowardice and an inhuman act.
A Sikh Body, Gurmat Taksal while calling Kashmir a dispute, said in a statement that they condemn killing of innocent civilians in Kulgam and called for the bloodshed in Kashmir to end once for all.
