Witnesses debunk official story, say army fired at locals

GANAWPORA/BALPORA (KASHMIR): Javid Ahmed Lone – the father of Class 12 student Suhail who was killed when army reportedly opened fire on protesters on Saturday in Ganawpora village of Shopian district – says he saw his son die outside their home when a bullet fired by a soldier hit him.

“When the army started firing on the gathered protesters, everyone one of us, including the children, rushed back into our homes. My son was still not in and I ran out to fetch him. I saw him die in front of my own eyes,” Lone said, before breaking down.

Lone’s lives next door to Firdous Ahmed — a Hizbul militant killed in an encounter on January 24 — house, on which a black Islamic Islamic banner with a “Qalima” written on it was put. The Army jawans were seeking its removal, to which locals objected.

‘WE OBJECTED, DIDN’T LET REMOVE BANNER

“We objected and didn’t let them remove the banner. What’s wrong in this?” said a local youth, who requested anonymity fearing repercussion. The banner resembles the flags commonly used by the terrorist outfit Islamic State, a police official said. The locals , who claimed to be witnesses, said after being snubbed the soldiers came back at around 3pm when protests, stone-pelting and confrontation started.

“In the morning only two vehicles had come, but second time they came with more. They shot at people and even threw stones at people at some areas,” a local resident requesting anonymity said. Two civilians, Suhail and Javid Bhat died in the alleged firing by army while another youth is in a critical state.

JAWAN FIRED IN SELF-DEFENCE: ARMY The Army, in an official press statement on Saturday, said that jawan fired in self-defence after heavy stone-pelting by locals who also tried to snatch their weapon and lynch them. “Considering the extreme gravity of the situation the army was constrained to open fire in self-defence to prevent lynching of the JCO and burning of government vehicle by the mob,” a Srinagar-based army spokesperson said in the statement.

The police registered a case against the 10th Garhwal unit for alleged murder, attempt to murder and endangering life. “Stonepelting happened but what is a matter of investigation is that whether the intensity was sufficient to warrant an action of such nature,” a senior police officer said, adding that the Army was advised to avoid places, which can be possible flash-points.