Srinagar
Amid wails and cries, thousands of people, men and women, on Sunday took part in the funeral prayers of a Saima Wani, the teenage girl, who was injured in an encounter on January 24 in a Shopian village.
Saima, daughter of Hilal Ahmad Wani, resident of Chaigund village was injured on January 24, when two local militants including Saima’s brother, Sameer Ahmad Wani, were killed in a gunfight with forces at Chaigund village of Shopian succumbed to injuries on Saturday evening after battling for life from last eighteen days at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of SKIMS Soura.
Local sources said that a large number of people attended her funeral prayers offered two times taking a large gathering of people into consideration.
On January 24, two local militants were killed in an encounter while civilians, a minor boy Shakir Ahmad Mir died and two girls including the Saima Wani, sister of the deceased militant Sameer Ahmad Wani, were injured at Chaigund, Audoo area of Keegam Shopian. Police said that Shakir and the girls were caught in cross firing.
On Jan 25, Musharaf Fayaz (10) had suffered critical injuries in his head and face after a shell exploded at the encounter site while a group of people were clearing the debris of the house which was razed to the ground by the forces during the gunfight. Musharaf later succumbed on Feb 1 after battling for life at least seven days.
On Jan 27, youth Javed Ahmad Bhat, 20, of Balpora and Suhail Javed Lone, 24, of Rawalpora Shopian died while Rayees Ahmad Ganie of Narpora who was injured on the same day and later succumbed to injuries on Jan 31 after battling for life for the five days at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of SKIMS, Soura. The casualties suffered after army men opened fire upon a group of protesters at Ganapora.
Police have booked an army unit on murder and ‘attempt to murder’ charges over the shooting of civilians while as the government has ordered a magisterial probe into the killings.
Army has claimed they opened fire in “self-defence” after a “mob tried to lynch an officer” during protests.
