IED blast rocks Sopore, three feared dead
Sopore : At least three policemen have been killed in a powerful IED blast in Sopore in North Kashmir. A senior police official said that at least three policemen have been killed in the blast while another in serious condition has been referred to Srinagar.
Reportedly, the IED was planted beneath a shop.
The deceases policemen have been identified as ASI Irshad from Doda, M Amin from Kupwara and Gh Nabi from Sopore.
Pertinently, today is the 25th anniversary of the Sopore massacre when 55 Unarmed Kashmiri civilian protesters were killed allegedly by the Indian Border Security Force(BSF), in the town of Sopore in Kashmir on 6 January 1993.
The incident had taken place after militants attacked BSF men of 94 battalion at Baba Yousuf Gali near Women’s Degree College Main Chowk Sopore and snatched a weapon from a BSF trooper there following which forces went berserk and fired indiscriminately upon the unarmed civilians and set ablaze the markets especially the area from main Chowk to Tehsil office.
Among the 57 dead civilians, scores were burnt alive, while as troopers allegedly dragged a SRTC bus driver out from the bus and showered bullets on the passengers, resulting in on the spot death of 20 passengers.
Pertinently , the Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) have called for a shutdown in Sopore town today to mark the 25th anniversary of the massacre.
In a statement, the JRL led by Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik called for strike in the town to remember the massacre in which 57 civilians were killed in firing by Border Security Force (BSF) men on January 6, 1993.
The leadership also called for a rally at Jamia Masjid Sopore and a peaceful procession to the martyrs’ graveyard on the day.
KV Correspondent
