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Girl among 3 civilians killed in Kulgam army firing

MAJID NABI. Dated: 7/7/2018 11:53:00 PM

Thousands participate in funeral prayers * Internet suspended in south Kashmir parts

SRINAGAR, July 7: Three civilians including a teenaged girl lost their lives and several others injured after government forces allegedly opened fire on protesters during clashes in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district today.
Reports quoting witnesses said the incident that escalated tension in susceptible zone ahead of the second death anniversary of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen commander, Burhan Muzaffar Wani took place after army laid cordon in Havora village in Redwani Kulgam following inputs about the presence of militants.
As soon as the army entered the village to conduct search operations, hundreds of youth took to the streets and staged protest against the move. Army personnel opened fire on protesters who pelted them with stones leaving three persons including a teenage girl injured.
All the injured were taken to nearby Primary Health Centre (PHC) Frisal Kulgam where three among them were declared as brought dead.
The slain civilians were identified as Shakir Ahmad Khanday (22) son of Mohd Hussain Khanday, Irshad Ahmad (20) son of Abdul Majeed and Andleeb Jan (16) daughter of Ali Mohammad, all residents of Redwani.
The death of civilians sparked massive clashes between agitating youth and government forces in the village that left several others injured one of them critically who were taken to nearby hospital and later shifted to SMHS hospital here for specialized treatment.
Authorities sensing trouble snapped mobile internet service in four districts of south Kashmir which includes Anantnag, Shopian, Kulgam and Pulwama. The step was taken as a precautionary measure to avoid rumour mongering on social networking sites.
A police spokesman in a statement issued here while confirming the death of three civilians including a girl said that a regular patrol of army was pelted with stones by miscreants in Mishipora village.
Army patrol while moving through Hawoora Mishipora area today afternoon was pelted with stones by the miscreants, consequently, army tried to disperse the miscreants and in the process five individual’s sustained injuries,” the Spokesman said.
The injured persons, he said, were evacuated to nearby hospital. However, three persons including a girl succumbed to the injuries later.
“The condition of two other injured is stated to be stable. Police has initiated action into investigation into the incident,” he added.
Meanwhile, fifteen separate rounds of funeral prayers were held for the slain civilians at a nearby school at Redwani in which thousands of people participated. A group of five militant’s video of whom went viral on social media also appeared in the funeral several times and offered a gun-salute to the slain.