Indian forces’ personnel arrested a dozen Kashmiri youths in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) on Wednesday.
Indian troops and police personnel arrested eleven persons Syed Azharul Haq, Muhammad Rafiq Hajam, Asif Ahmed Khan, Mumtaz Ahmad Khan, Talib Ahmed Shah, Ahmed Hayat Mir, Bilal Ahmed Ganai, Nisar Ahmed Khan, Bazil Ahmed Mir, Abdul Majeed Kumar and Aftab Hussain Shah from various parts of Kupwara district.
They have been booked under black laws Public Safety Act (PSA) and the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS-PIT) in fake cases.
Another youth was arrested during a cordon and search operation in the Nazninpura area of the Shopian district.
Meanwhile, a 22-year-old youth identified as Zakir Ahmed Thekri drowned after he accidentally slipped in Sindh Nallah in Mammer area of Ganderbal district.
The arrests come amid a renewed crackdown by Indian forces in IIOJK. In recent months, there have been a number of cases of arbitrary arrests and detentions of Kashmiris.
The PSA is a draconian law that allows for the detention of people for up to two years without charge. The NDPS-PIT is another law that is often used to target Kashmiris on drug-related charges. The arrests have been condemned by Kashmiri leaders and human rights groups. They have called for the immediate release of the detainees.—INP
