Kashmirturbulence toll reaches 44 as another woman dies at SKIMS

Army orders inquiry in Kulgam firing; Corprs Commander, DGP visit Kulgam; Army chief may visit today

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

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SRINAGAR, July 19: With the death of another woman, toll in the 11-day-long Kashmir turbulence has reached 44 even as three protesters sustained injuries in a clash in Anantnag on Tuesday.

Officials told STATE TIMES that 29-year-old Neelofar w/o Ghulam Hassan r/o Churhat Kulgam, who had got critically injured in Army’s firing at her village on Monday evening, succumbed to injuries at SKIMS Soura in the wee hours. Her burial took place amid pro-Pakistan, pro-Azadi and anti-India slogans at Churhat at around 1330 hours.

Sources said that Neelofar and her young son were among seven persons who had sustained injuries in the Army’s firing on protesters in which one 48-year-old woman Saida had died on spot.

Sources said that GOC 15 Corps Lt Gen Satish Kumar Dua, accompanied by J&K DGP K. Rajendra Kumar, Additional DG CID S.M. Sahai and IG Kashmir Syed Javaid Mujtaba Gilani, visited Kulgam area by a helicopter earlier today. They interacted with troops of Rashtriya Rifles 9^th battalion at Devsar besides Police and civil officials. Unconfirmed reports said that an interaction with the local civilian population was also organised. They have reached back to Srinagar.

Inquiry ordered, Army Chief visiting today

Sources said that Army has ordered an internal inquiry into yesterday's firing as many believe it could have been avoided as the crowd could not have harmed or torched a bulletproof Casper that is not vulnerable even to militants' firing and grenade attacks.

Army chief Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag is likely to arrive in Srinagar on Wednesday for a thorough interaction with officers and jawans and a review of the strategy for effectively dealing with the protesters. Security forces have temporarily suspended all counterinsurgency operations in Kashmir valley in the wake of turbulence over Burhan Wani’s killing and the demonstrators’ mounting attacks on security forces.

Meanwhile, sources in South Kashmir said that a crowd clashed with Police at the time of withdrawal of deployment at Khannabal Anantnag in the evening on Tuesday. In retaliation to intense stone pelting, Police fired from pellet guns, causing injuries to three persons. Two of them were referred to a hospital in Srinagar.

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[Published in today's STATE TIMES]