Indian troops martyr four more youths in occupied Kashmir

SRINAGAR: Indian forces, in fresh acts of state terrorism, martyred four more Kashmiri youths in three districts of occupied Kashmir on Thursday, according to media outlets based in the valley.

The killings, which took place in Srinagar, Badgam and Islamabad districts, took the number of martyred youngsters to 18 since last Thursday.

The troops killed two youths at Panzan in Badgam and one in Dooru area of Islamabad during search and cordon operations. Another youngster, identified as Muhammad Saleem Malik, was killed when the troops resorted to unprovoked firing on his house in Noorbagh area of Srinagar. An Indian soldier was killed and two others were injured in an attack at Dooru in Islamabad, the Kashmir Media Service reported.

Thousands of people defied restrictions to attend funeral prayers of the martyrs. Meanwhile, clashes erupted between the mourners and Indian security personnel when the body of martyr Saleem Malik was being carried to Eidgah in Srinagar for burial.

The killings sparked protests and clashes between the demonstrators and the Indian forces in other areas as well. The protesters raising pro-independence, pro-Pakistan and anti-India chants fought pitched battles with Indian troops and police personnel in Panzam, Srinagar, Kulgam, Islamabad and other areas.

The demonstrators also waved Pakistan’s national flag. The students of Kashmir University, Srinagar, and the Islamic University of Science and Technology, Awantipora Pulwama held forceful demonstrations against the killings, according to the media outlet.

Meanwhile, the Joint Resistance Leadership, comprising Syed Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik, called for a complete shutdown in the valley on Friday, against the killing spree and arrest of Hurriyat leaders and activists in the territory.

Farooq, chairman of Hurriyat Forum, while addressing over telephone from Srinagar an event on Kashmir held in Liverpool, UK, urged the members of Labour Party to champion the inalienable right to self-determination of the people of occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

The event was co-hosted by the Chairman of South Asia Centre for Peace and Human Rights, Professor Nazir Ahmed Shawl. Gruesome killings, rape, enforced disappearances and the use of pellets by Indian troops in the occupied territory came under discussion during the event.

In Brussels, situation in occupied Kashmir was discussed during a special dinner hosted in the honour of Pakistani senators, members of European Parliament and Kashmiri delegates from Pakistan and UK, at the residence of Pakistan High Commissioner Nughmana Hashmi.