Srinagar, Nov 24:Two civilians including a teenage girl succumbed to fire arm injuries which they had received in separate incidents involving government forces in Budgam and Kulgam districts of Kashmir.
14-year-old Muskan Jan of Wangud-Qaimoh was in coma since Thursday after she sustained a bullet injury in a shootout in Khudwani area of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district.
She was admitted and operated upon at SMHS hospital however breathed her last on Saturday.
As per police, Muskan was “caught in a crossfire” when militants fired several shots at an army camp stationed in a part of Sher-e-Kashmir Agriculture University’s (SKAUST) campus at Khudwani.
Another civilian, this time a man in his late 20s too passed away to bullet injuries he received late Friday near an army camp in Chattergam area of central Kashmir’s Budgam district
Ishfaq AhmadGanaie, son of Nazir Ahmad Ganaie of Magraypora Budgam, succumbed at SKIMS Soura early before dawn on Saturday.
A carpenter by profession,Ishfaq was shot in the head near Army’s 50 RR camp in Chattergam area ofthe district and soon rushed to PHC Chattergam where doctors shifted him to SKIMS Srinagar for the advanced treatment.
The details of circumstances in which he was killed are hazy, as the army has denied their involvement.
Soon after the incident, the Srinagar-based defence spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia said in a statement: “In a case of (militant) committed atrocity, Ishfaq Ahmad Ganie of Magraypora was shot at by the (militants), 500-600 metres away from Army Camp at Chatergam. When the Army troops heard the sound of firing, the Quick Reaction Team immediately rushed towards the direction of fire to find out what was happening.”
“When the party reached the spot, they saw Ishafaq Ahmad Ganie, son of Nazir Ahmad Ganie of MagrayporaKhanda in a pool of blood. He had bullet injuries, one in the head and the other in the leg and was immediately taken to Chatergam hospital from where doctors shifted him to SMHS,” he said.
As per a statement issued by Joint Hurriyat leadership of Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik, Ishfaq was shot at by the forces on “mere suspicion of passing by a bunker, and young Muskan was pumped with bullets in her abdomen during a protest”.
Hurriyat (M) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq condemned the killings.
“With the succumbing of 2 more civilians Ishfaq Ahmed &Muskaan Jan to Indian forces bullets the number of Kashmiris killed up to now this year has crossed 400!We make a fervent appeal to international community to help stop the massacre of Kashmiri’s unleashed by Indian forces! (sic)” Mirwaiz tweeted.
Former chief minister Omar Abdullah asked the administration to come clean about the circumstances surrounding Ganie death.
“Conflicting reports of the circumstances surrounding Ishfaq Ahmed’s shooting. It’s imperative that the administration establish the factual position to the satisfaction of the people, especially Ishfaq’s family. May Ishfaq find his place in Jannat (sic),” Omar posted on Twitter.
Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society, a body keeping track of human rights violations in the state, states that from January 1 to November 24, 2018, at least 520 people have been killed in Jammu and Kashmir, which include 144 civilians, 234 militants and 142 members of armed forces and police.
