‘Stone-Pelting And Aerial Firing In Pampore’

KL Report

SRINAGAR

Panic gripped in South Kashmir’s Samboora area of Pampore town when Army personnel on Wednesday evening alleged resorted to unprovoked firing and thrashed the youth including some Bihari labours who were playing in Stadium. People alleged that Army personnel were drunk who jumped from their armoured vehicles and started beating everyone present in the playing ground.

Eyewitnesses told CNS that Army personnel from 50 RR arrived in their armoured vehicles at Samboora playground and without any reason thrashed youth and some labours from outside state.

People and youth who were outside stadium resented the action of the Army personnel and they pelted stones on them. Soon, scores of people gathered there who resorted to heavy stone pelting. Army personnel according to eyewitnesses responded with stones too.

Reports said that Army called SOG personnel to disperse the agitated people and during the ensuing clashes, Amy personnel resorted to heavy aerial firing which created panic in the area. The clashes continued till late night.

Locals told CNS that they spent the night in their yards. “We failed to understand why Army personnel thrashed people without any reason and why they tried to disrupt the peace when everything was normal,” one of the locals said.

When contacted, PRO, Army Ankur Varishi told CNS that he doesn’t know anything about the incident. “Let me verify the facts and I would let you know whether such type of incident have really occurred or not,” he said.

Colonel Ashok from 50 RR told CNS on phone that some miscreants pelted stones on a patrolling party and Army exercised restraint and called the respectable citizens of the area who claimed that even parents don’t have control over these children.

“It is absolutely baseless that Army resorted to aerial firing. The fact is that some miscreants pelted stones on us. It has become a routine for them to indulge in stone pelting and today we called a meeting in which respectable citizens participated. They assured us that in future no miscreant would be allowed to resort to stone-pelting on Army,” Colonel Ashok said adding few days ago such miscreants also pelted stones on the cavalcade of a Minister.