Army warns of ‘Appropriate’ Action Against Law Violating Protesters

KL NEWS NETWORK

SRINAGAR

Two days after the civilians sustained injuries in the firing incident in Ashmuqam area of south Kashmir’s Islamabad district, Army Thursday said that they will take “appropriate action” against the law violating protesters.

In a statement issued to KNS Army said, “In case a crowd takes law in its hands and threatens life and property, security forces will be constrained to initiate appropriate action to counter it.”

Army claimed that a joint operation was launched by the Army and Jammu and Kashmir police on Tuesday in Aishmuqam after “specific information” about the presence of some suspected militants in Magray Mohalla.

“As the search operations were in progress, a large crowd of approximately 1000 people gathered at the site to disrupt the operations in clear violation of existing orders which had also been recently reiterated by the police,” statement added.

“Soon, some unscrupulous, rogue elements from the crowd started resorting to heavy stone pelting and sloganeering. Despite this provocation, the forces exercised full restraint in trying to dissuade the crowd from interfering with their operations,” it said.

“However, not paying any heed, the crowd responded by intensified stone pelting, shouting inflammatory slogans and started closing in with the security forces resulting in injury to more than a dozen personnel including a JCO of the Army and an ASI of J&K Police,” Army statement read.

Army said that the incident was investigated, following which it was established that the forces were “forced” to open the fire.

“It is established that the forces were forced to open cautionary fire to prevent any further injury, loss or damage to personnel, weapons equipment and other government property in which two persons resorting to stone pelting were injured,” Army said.