Srinagar, May 18: Two Kashmiris have been killed in an alleged encounter with Indian security forces in Pulwama and Baramulla, an Indian official said.
The Indian security forces' spokesman alleged that a cordon and search operation was conducted in Panzgam area of Awantipora in south Kashmir's Pulwama district was conducted following information about presence of Kashmiri separatists there, a police official said.
In another operation, the spokesman said, a cordon and search operation was launched by security forces in Hathlangoo area of Sopore in north Kashmir's Baramulla district.
As the Indian security forces were conducting the search operations, the separatists fired upon them, which led to a gun battle in which the four separatists were killed, he alleged.
He said the slained seperatists have been identified as Showkat Dar of Panzgam Awantipora, Irfan War of Wadoora Payeen Sopore and Muzaffar Sheikh of Tahab Pulwama and Waseem Ahmad Naikoo of Barsoo Awantipora.
Independent bodies have yet to confirm whether those killed were separatists, or their alleged involvement in activities claimed by the Indian security forces.
Human rights organisations have claimed constant human rights abuses in Jammu and Kashmir, a disputed territory administered by India, including mass killings, forced disappearances, torture, rape and sexual abuse to political repression and suppression of freedom of speech.
Independent bodies have yet to confirm whether those killed were separatists, or their alleged involvement in activities claimed by the Indian security forces.
UN human rights report on Kashmir in June 2018 has called for international inquiry into ongoing human rights violations and abuses in Jammu and Kashmir.
According to Rights Groups referred in Wikipedia; about “100,000 people have died since 1989 while the official figures from Indian sources state the estimates of number of civilians killed due to the insurgency in the range of 16,725 to 47,000”
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) recently adopted a resolution on Jammu and Kashmir, condemning the “atrocities and human rights violations” in the state,
The resolution on Kashmir used phrases such as “Indian terrorism” and “mass blindings” by Indian security forces on protesting youths.
