Srinagar
In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the residents of Khonmoh in Srinagar have categorically refuted the Indian military authorities’ claim that the two youth martyred in the area, today, were militants killed in an encounter.
The residents told the media that it was a clear case of fake encounter as has been a practice of the Indian troops of killing the Kashmiri youth so far.
The gunshot wounds on the dead bodies including on legs and feet also indicated that it was not a firefight.
It appears that the youth have tried to flee and were shot in the legs and after getting hold of them they were killed.
The eyewitnesses said that the youth were unarmed and it was a false claim of the Indian army that two pistols and grenades were recovered from them.
Had they been freedom fighters they would have proper fighting weapons in their possession, they added.
The locals have raised many pertinent questions.
The dead body of one of the martyrs was found with a white bandage on his injured left hand and the Indian authorities failed to give any explanation to it.
The locals also refuted the statement of the army authorities that the parents of the martyred youth appealed to them to surrender. They said their parents were not in the area.
They were in Pulwama and the boys had just come to Khonmoh to meet their friends and relatives.
It may be recalled that the latest examples of fake encounters by the Indian troops in the occupied territory were the incidents of Amshipora and Lawaypora that occurred on 18 July and 30 December in the year 2020 respectively. In both the encounters three youth each were killed by the Indian troops.
The Indian authorities had claimed that these were gunfights while it was proved later that both the incidents were of fake encounters.
The authorities had also ordered an inquiry in the Amshipora encounter where the Indian army’s claim was declared baseless and those killed were found labourers of Rajouri, a far off place in Jammu division.—KMS
