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2 injured as dormant shell blasts in Pulwama encounter site

KT NEWS SERVICE. Dated: 7/20/2017 11:33:20 PM

Kakapora shuts against 'army excesses'

PULWAMA, July 20: Two persons were injured on Thursday after an unexploded shell went off near the site of an encounter which had raged between security forces and militants in Bhamnoo village of southern Pulwama district earlier this month. The incident occurred in the afternoon when the people were clearing the debris of one of the houses.
Locals told Kashmir Times over phone that as the boys were busy removing the rubble from near the encounter site some explosive substance went off suddenly causing severe injuries to both of them.
The injured were taken to district hospital Keller where from they were referred to Srinagar hospitals for specialised treatment.
They were identified as Muzamil Ahmad Khan and Umar Khan.
Hospital sources said that while Wakil had suffered critical injuries in head, Umar had received injuries in abdomen.
SSP Pulwama Choudhry Muhammad Aslam said that police has registered a case and initiated investigations into the matter.
Asked why police had not sanitised the encounter site properly, the SSP said, "As you know there is always law and order problem near the encounter sites which hampers the proper sanitation of the areas. But even then we had tried our best to sanitise the area. We had also requested the people to inform police if they found any shell or explosive substance. This is an unfortunate incident."
Pertinently three militants had been killed in an encounter in the village on July 3. During the gunfight forces had blasted at least five houses by using powerful explosive material reducing them to rubble.
Meanwhile, a complete shutdown was observed in Kakpora township of the district against the alleged thrashing of shopkeepers and ransacking of shops by the security forces on Wednesday.
Locals alleged that the army men after a stone was thrown on their vehicle on Wednesday afternoon jumped from their vehicles. Besides thrashing the shopkeepers they had ransacked several shops in the town.
To protest what they termed high handedness by the army, local sources said, the traders in the town observed a complete shutdown today with all the shops and other business establishments remaining closed.
SSP Pulwama said that both police and deputy commissioner have taken up the issue with the army who assured of not repeating such acts in future.