Army continues to go on rampage in South Kashmir
Three days after government forces swooped down on people in South Kashmir, Army Sunday unleashed terror and vandalized property and beat up inmates following a stone-pelting incident in a village in Pahalgam area of Anantnag district in south Kashmir.
As per reports the armed men were withdrawing from Astan Mohalla area of Wallerhama village after concluding a cordon-and-search operation. They said that army men thrashed several persons and smashed windowpanes of houses and parked cars following a minor stone-pelting incident in the village.
Earlier on Friday at Turkwangan village in Shopian number of army personnel thrashed people and damaged public property triggering fear among the residents.
As per reports around 25 persons were injured, and at least 10 others suffering fractures in legs and arms in the action by the armed force personnel that has ignited rage among the people. Unbridled use of force by the army has left the people in a state of fear even as they alleged that the government has given the force personnel license to exercise “ brute force.’’
“My wife and my sister-in-law have fractures in their arm and leg, they beat us indiscriminately. The soldiers hammered me on the head with gun butts. They beat my wife and sister-in-law with metal rods and gun butts,” said a resident of Shopian village, adding that at least 20 army soldiers forcibly entered into his house at around 2am.
According to the villagers, the Army men did not stop there and went ahead with the ransacking and injuring the residents. At least seven omen from the village had fractures and severe injuries due to the assault.
Family members of another family said that about 30 soldiers barged into their house and beat them for almost an hour. “They left two of my sons with fractures. We cried for help but no one could come.”
A visibly dejected group of elderly people from Turkwangan said “were we born to face the frustration of the army in this lawless land, where anyone can enter our houses and beat us?”
It has been a norm for Army and other security personnel in south Kashmir to ransack vehicle and other belongings on roadside, on Friday, reports said that the soldiers also smashed vehicles that were parked on the streets with villagers alleging that several residential houses were ransacked and damaged by the soldiers.
Villagers further said that several people have been referred to Srinagar hospitals for specialized treatment.
Three days before the assault on Friday, army soldiers had attacked Turkwangan village after Monday midnight, breaking into around 40 houses and severely beating up the inmates. The soldiers also vandalised houses and vehicles.
Villagers while recalling the fear and horror of Friday night said that so terrified were some that several of them fled the village in the middle of night for the safety of their lives soon when they heard that soldiers had arrived in the village once again.
KV Correspondent
