At least six protestors were killed when Indian border guards fired on protestors outside their camp in Ramban area of Indian administered Kashmir on Thursday.
New Delhi, July 18/Nationalturk- At least six protestors were killed and nearly two dozen injured when Indian border guards BSF fired on protestors outside their camp in Ramban area of Indian administered Kashmir on Thursday. The incident has triggered protests across the region.
The locals alleged that Indian border guards (known as BSF) barged into a local mosque at Gool, Ramban, some 230 kms south of Srinagar, summer capital of Indian administered Kashmir, last evening.
“The soldiers roughed up the cleric and beat up people offering evening prayers. They also desecrated copies of holy Quran in the mosque,” the locals alleged.
To protest against the soldiers action, people in large numbers took to roads in Gool areas this morning and staged a protest demonstration outside camp of border guards. They were demanding action against the erring soldiers involved in desecration of mosque.
Police sources said the border guards deployed in the camp opened fire from automatic weapons towards the protestors, when some of them tried to barge into the camp.
“At least four persons were killed on spot and over two dozen injured in the firing. The injured were evacuated to nearby hospitals, where two critically injured persons succumbed to injuries, thus taking the death toll to six,” they said.
They said condition of some of the injured has been termed by doctors as “life threatening”.
As the news spread that soldiers have fired on unarmed protestors, causing civilian casualties, people in nearby Muslim areas took to roads and staged massive anti-India demonstrations. They were demanding stern action against the Indian soldiers involved in killing of civilians.
There were reports that a mob had attacked an office of local bureaucrat in Ramban area.
The protestors also blocked vehicular movement on 296-kms long Srinagar-Jammu highway, only road link between Indian Kashmir and rest of India.
The news about the incident caused outrage across Indian Kashmir. Clashes also broke out at many places between angry youth and police and paramilitary soldiers. At Maisuma area in Srinagar, police men lobbed tear smoke shells and resorted to heavy baton charge to disperse the agitating youth.
Separatists call for shutdown
The separatist leaders and groups in Indian administered Kashmir have called for complete shutdown tomorrow against the killings.
Senior separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani, who has been under house arrest, has called for complete shutdown for on July 19, 20, and 21 against the killings.
He also called for peaceful protests and demonstrations after tomorrow congregation prayers against firing on protestors.
The moderate separatist leader and cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq also called for complete shutdown across Indian administered on Friday.
He has also appealed Ulemas, clerics to stage demonstrations against the killings after Friday prayers
The pro-independence JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik has also called for shutdown tomorrow.
“It is one of the biggest crimes committed by Indian soldiers in Kashmir,” he said.
He has asked people to march towards Lalchowk (the city centre in Srinagar) for a protest rally.
Indian Home Minister orders probe
Reacting to killing of six protestors by border guards, Indian Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde has ordered a probe into the firing incident.
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Faiz Ahmad / NationalTurk India News
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