Srinagar, Nov 25: A boy was killed and more than 30 persons, including an 18-month-old baby, were injured by pellets and bullets in south Kashmir’s Shopian and Kulgam districts on Sunday during clashes between locals and government forces following an encounter with militants in Batagund village.
Hospitals in Kulgam and Shopian, as per officials, received over 30 people wounded by pellets and bullets in following intense clashes with forces in backdrop of the Shopian encounter in which six militants were killed.
Medical superintendent of district hospital Kulgam, GM Bhat, as per media reports, said that they received 15 injured persons, six with bullet injuries and nine with pellet wounds. One teenager was brought dead to the hospital.
The slain civilian was identified as 16-year-old Nouman Ashraf Bhat of Bolsoo village in Kulgam. He was injured after being hit by a bullet in clashes with the forces near the gunfight site in Batgund.
“Of the nine injured by pellets, one was a female child of age 1.5 -2 years. She had a pellet injury in one eye,” Bhat was quoted saying by Hindustan Times.
The baby was identified as Hiba Nisar.
Hiba, was shifted to Srinagar’s SMHS hospital where doctors said she needed a surgery to tackle with the pellet that had pockmarked her right eye.
Her Father Nisar Ahmad, said the baby was injured when teargas shells landed in the compound of their house.
The intense smoke, as per Nisar prompted the family, to open the door.
“As soon as I opened it, the forces fired at us,” he was quoted saying by local media reports.
Hiba, Nisar said, was in her mother’s lap who blocked the volley of pellets with her hand thus minimizing the impact of what could have been a grievous injury to the baby.
Hiba’s photo with a single black mark on her eye lid and blushed cheeks was tweeted by Hurriyat (M) leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.
Medical superintendent of Shopian district hospital, Zahoor Ahmad said that 36 persons came to the hospital with bullet and pellet injuries.
