Srinagar
Clashes erupted in Bhan area of Ashmuji belt in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Friday late night after the army launched a cordon-and-search operation.
After the tensions, the army launched door-to-door searches in the village, reports added.
Locals said that forces arrested three youth and allegedly thrashed inmates and vandalize property.
The arrested youth were identified as Fasil Bashir, Fasil Nazir, Amir Hussain Bhat, all residents of Bhan village. Pertinently a woman suffered injuries after her son was allegedly arrested by the forces earlier in the evening.
The villagers alleged that army men smashed the windowpanes of residential houses and cars in the area.
“The army men targeted every parked vehicle. They smashed windowpanes and thrashed people irrespective of their age,” said a local from Kulgam over the phone.
Locals told Kashmir life over the phone that army entered into the Jamia Masjid of the area and made announcements on loudspeakers asking people to come out from their houses and gather at the ground of the local shrine.
MLA Homeshalibugh Abdul Majeed Bhat Larmi confirmed the incident, expressed anguish and demand action against the forces.
“I talked to SSP Kulgam and demand action against the army men involved in the incident,” Larmi said.
Srinagar-based army spokesman, Colonel Rajesh Kalia, refuted the claims of locals and said that “no soldier was involved in any kind of ransacking, beating of people, or damaging anything.”
However, a senior police officer from the area said they are ascertaining the facts. “we have also received the complaint about the incident and we are investigating,” the police officer said. Another police source said the soldiers were on way to their camp and were pelted stones that triggered the tension.
