Srinagar, June 25: Two youth were killed when paramilitary soldiers opened fire on a mob at Sopore, some 55 kms North of Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian Kashmir. People were demanding bodies of two militants, who were killed in a gunfight with army men in the area earlier in the day.

Two Kashmiri militants believed to be members of Lashkar-e-Toiba were killed in an eight-hour long gunfight with Indian army men at Sopore on Friday. Three soldiers were injured in the gunfight.

Later, after the end of the gunfight, people demanded bodies of the slain militants for their burial. Raising pro-freedom, pro-Islamic and anti-India slogans, the protestors were demanding bodies of the two militants so that they can be buried in a local martyrs graveyard.

During the protest demonstration, some youth from the mob pelted stones on a passing CRPF vehicle and tried to attack it. However, the paramilitary soldiers travelling in the vehicle fired towards the mob, injuring five persons. The injured were shifted to hospitals, where doctors declared two of them as dead. Three other injured are undergoing treatment in the hospital.

The deceased were identified as Shakeel Ahmad Ganai and Firdous Ahmad Kakroo.

The killing of youth has triggered massive anti-India protests in entire North Kashmir with people taking to roads and staging pro-freedom demonstrations. They were demanding action against the Indian paramilitary soldiers, who killed the two youth. “The Indian police, paramilitary and army men are killing Kashmiris with bullets and tear gas canisters,” they said.

The protestors clashed with police and paramilitary soldiers, who fired numerous tear gas shells and also fired some rounds in air. Several persons sustained injuries during the clashes.

A paramilitary spokesman while admitting that his men opened fire on the mob claimed that the mob attacked and torched a paramilitary vehicle. “After their vehicle was attacked and torched, our men fired in self-defence injuring five people, two of whom succumbed later in hospital,” he said.

The separatist groups fighting Indian rule in Kashmir have called for shutdown in Kashmir on Saturday to protest against the killings, which they termed as “state terrorism”.

At least 5 youth have died in police and paramilitary action in Indian Kashmir in last three weeks.

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National Turk / India – Faiz Ahmad

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