15 year old shot dead during anti-Israeli protests

Have taken serious note of Kulgam killing: IGP Kashmir Geelani calls for Kulgam shutdown on Sunday

SRINAGAR: Situation in South Kashmir district of Kulgam deteriorated on Saturday after paramilitary forces opened fire at an anti-Israeli rally resulting in the on the spot death of a 15 year old youth.

Eyewitnesses said that street protest over the injury of a youth (Amir Ahmad Parray) in CRPF firing in Mir Bazar Kulgam on Friday degenerated into a full-blown protest on Saturday when CRPF personnel from 18th Battalion allegedly fired a direct shot at Sohail Ahmed Lone, son of Ghulam Qadir Lone, resident of Misho Hawora Kulgam.

Pertinently, a youth Amir Ahmad Parray son of Abdul Majid Parray, aged 19 years of Gufbal village of Qaimoh received a bullet injury on Friday during an anti-Israel protest in Kulgam.

Amir was admitted in SKIMS and according to doctors the bullet has hit right side of his chest.

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Hundreds of people, mostly youth chanting pro-freedom and anti-Israeli slogans, staged a protest against CRPF action on Saturday.

Eyewitnesses said that the street protests continued for hours at Khudwani and Qaimou Kulgam on Saturday. The protestors and the government forces clashed with each other. The protestors resorted to heavy stone-pelting while government forces burst tear smoke shells to disperse them.

At around 3 p.m, when clashes were on in the area, CRPF personnel fired few shots that created panic there. Moments later people saw Sohail lying in a pool of blood near a shop where he was sitting when CRPF fired directly at him, an eyewitness told CNS adding that it was a target killing.

Witnesses further said that Sohail Ahmed was not part of protest and he was sitting near a shop watching clashes between government forces and youth. Sohail was immediately taken to District Hospital Anantnag where doctors declared pronounced him dead.

Scores of people carried the body of Sohail and marched towards Lal Chowk Anantnag where police swung into action and dispersed the protestors near Bus Stand. As the news about the killing of minor spread, there was spontaneous shutdown in Anantnag and Kulgam. All the shops and business establishments got closed and transport disappeared from the roads.

Thousands of people participated in the funeral procession of Sohail Ahmed Lone. Funeral prayers in his favour were offered at Qaimou and at his native village Misho Wavora. There were intense clashes between government forces and protestors after the killing of the youth. Locals said that government forces fired scores of tear smoke shells creating panic in the area.

A police official said that heavy contingent of police and Para-military troopers have been deployed in the area to thwart the protests and stone-pelting incidents.

The deceased was the younger son of Ghulam Qadir Lone who is a labourer by profession. Family sources said that the elder brother of deceased has already lost an arm in an accident while his another brother is mentally retarded. Sohail was the 9th class student at Government High School Havoora.

Inspector General of Police Kashmir Zone Abdul Gani Mir said that the incident was unfortunate. We have taken a serious note of it and have taken up the investigation to ascertain the facts, he said.

Meanwhile, Syed Geelani led Hurriyat Conference has asked people of South Kashmir to observe complete shutdown against the killing of 15 year old.

Strongly condemning the killing in the firing incident in Khudwani area of South Kashmir, State Secretary CPI(M) Muhammad Yousuf Tarigami said that the culprits must be identified without delay and brought to justice.

While expressing his condolences with the bereaved family, Tarigami lamented that the administration deals with every situation either by imposing curfew or through the use of excessive force against people.

The CPI (M) leader demanded a time-bound judicial probe into the incident to fix responsibility and punish the culprits to send a message that no one is above the law. “Impunity for the killings has to end, or else the consequences can be disastrous,” he observed.

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