BOY INJURED IN GRENADE BLAST DIES IN SHOPIAN

10-year-old boy, who was injured when an unexploded shell at an encounter site went off suddenly in Shopian district, succumbed at a Srinagar hospital, officials said.

“Musharaf Fayaz had picked up a grenade thinking it was a toy from the encounter site at Chaigund in Shopian district on January 25 — the morning after the encounter there. The grenade exploded in his hands, injuring him critically,” said an official at police control room Shopian.

Fayaz was in critical condition at the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences in Srinagar and succumbed to his injuries on Thursday morning.

Hundreds of people participated in the funeral prayers for Fayaz before he was laid to rest.

The death takes the toll of civilian deaths in conflictrelated incidents in Kashmir this month to six. Three civilians were killed when army opened fire on stone-pelting protesters in Ganawpora area of Shopian on Saturday.

Army said it fired in “self-defence” to save an officer from getting lynched while villagers said the firing occurred after a confrontation between soldiers and protesters over an Islamic banner. Earlier, a 23-year-old man, who was hit by a bullet allegedly after army soldiers fired on protesters in south Kashmir’s Shopian district last week, died at a hospital in Srinagar early on Wednesday.

SRINAGAR:A

CEASEFIRE VIOLATION AGAIN, 71 SCHOOLS SHUT

Pakistan on Thursday violated ceasefire in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district, in Jammu and Kashmir.

The villages of Kampala, Pukherni, Lam, Anwas, Bhandar, Rattal, Basali and PB came under attack. 71 schools were closed in Lam due to heavy shelling, the District Collector of Rajouri, Shahid Choudhary said.

On January 26 and January 30 as well, Pakistan had initiated unprovoked firing in Nowshera.