Conflict

Pulwama civilian killings: ‘Deeply grieved’, says Police, claims ‘crowd came dangerously close to gunfight site’

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FPK PHOTO/WASIM NABI

The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Saturday said that they are deeply grieved by the civilian killings in Pulwama however, they claimed that the crowd came ‘dangerously close to the gunfight site’.  

Giving details about the gunfight, a police spokesman said that a search operation was launched jointly by the security forces based on a credible input about the presence of militants in Monghama area of village Sirnoo.

He said that the militants fired indiscriminately during the search operation from a hideout in an open field in the village.

“Consequently, army personnel got injured and one Army soldier succumbed to his injury while others are being treated at a hospital,” said the spokesman.

“While the operation was going on, a crowd who came dangerously close from different parts to the encounter site got injured,” he added.

He said the injured were evacuated to hospital where “unfortunately seven persons succumbed to their injuries.” Others who were admitted in the hospital are stated to be stable, he said.

“The loss of civilians is deeply grieved. Police once again appeals the citizens to remain away from encounter site as it is a prohibited zone which involves significant danger to life because of nature of the encounter,” said the spokesman.

In this gunfight, three militants were killed. Bodies were handed over to the legal heirs after completion of medico-legal formalities.

“One of the killed militant has been identified as Zahoor Ahmad Thoker son of Abdul Majid Thoker resident of Sirnoo Pulwama,” he said, adding that Zahoor had deserted from Army last year and joined HM outfit.

“He was a known militant commander and was wanted by law for his complicity in a series of attacks on security establishments,” he said.

Seven civilians were killed after armed forces opened fire on protesters near the site of a gunfight in Kharpora Sarnoo village of Pulwama district today morning. Three militants and an army man were killed in the gunfight.

Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) has called for a three-day shutdown and mourning in Kashmir and urged people to march towards the army base in Badami Bagh in Srinagar on Monday.

National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah while reacting on the Pulwama civilian killings said that it is a massacre and there is no other way to describe it. 

Earlier, Abdullah while reacting to the civilian killings had said that it was  ‘another blood soaked weekend in Kashmir’

PDP President Mehbooba Mufti while reacting to the civilian killings has said that there would be no probe which would bring back the dead. She also asked that ‘is this what was expected from the Governor rule’?

She also said that no country can win a war by killing its own people. 

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