A 15-year-old youth was killed along the line of Control in Poonch after he was hit by splinters of mortar shell following ‘unprovoked’ ceasefire violation by Pakistan Army late Friday evening. The latest provocation was reported one day ahead of formal handing over of baton by the outgoing Indian Army chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag to his Vice-Chief lt-Gen Bipin Rawat.
According to local reports the deceased youth was present in the fields when at least two mortar shells exploded in the vicinity causing serious injuries.
Before local residents rushed him to the district hospital in Poonch the youth identified as Tanvir Ahmed S/O Faiz Mohd succumbed due to his fatal injuries. The heavy exchange of firing which started around 4.55 p.m continued till 6.05 pm, official sources said.Panic stricken local residents in the area were advised by the police and local civil authorities to remain closeted inside safer places to avoid splinter injuries as heavy mortar shelling was reported in the area. Even some of the forest area caught fire after mortar shells exploded in local fields.
Pakistan Army used small arms, automatics and mortar shells to target the civilian pockets and forward Indian posts. The Indian Army retaliated the unprovoked firing effectively using similar calibre of weapons.
On Thursday Indian Army had foiled a major infiltration bid by a group of 4-5 heavily armed infiltrators along loC in Poonch.
Fresh assessment reports from ground zero suggested that Pakistan Army is looking for an opportunity to carry out a major terror strike to welcome the new Indian Army chief in office.
To prevent fresh infiltration bids the Army jawans are maintaining tight vigil along the line of Control and in the hinterland.
An uncanny calm prevails in Kashmir as the year 2016 draws to end leaving behind a trail of memories the people and rulers would not forget easily. This was the most tumultuous year that saw multiple changes in guard followed by a complete breakdown of law and order.
On the year-end, even as the rulers feel content that they quelled a massive public uprising that erupted on July 8 following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani and his two comrades, the campaign left a huge impact on the ground situation and is difficult to offset in a short span.
The year began on an ominous note when Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed breathed his last in a New Delhi hospital on January 7. His daughter Mehbooba Mufti refused to take over immediately. The refusal triggered a constitutional crisis and Governor’s rule was imposed in the State. Initially it appeared that the Governor NN Vohra’s takeover would be temporary but Mehbooa added elements to her refusal and linked it with Center’s ill-treatment to her father during his month rule. She demanded guarantees from the alliance partner before taking over the reins of the PDP-BJP alliance. However, no guarantees were provided except the promise to follow the Agenda of Alliance, a document that the two parties framed as a roadmap before forging an alliance. Mehbooba, after a meeting with Prime Minister Narenda Modi in New Delhi, finally agreed to step into her father’s shoes and took oath on April 4.
Mehbooba was barely two weeks in office when four civilians including a woman were killed in north Kashmir’s Handwara town after a soldier allegedly molested a local schoolgirl, a charge refuted by the army. The incident triggered widespread anger and began the negative image building of the new CM.
In June, first budget session of the state legislature was held in Srinagar under Mehbooba’s rule. The opposition parties tried to bully the government over the human rights issues and lack of development but the government withstood the tirade because the opposition parties—national Conference and the Congress—had not left an unblemished track record when they were in power. Mehbooba and her colleagues vowed to pursue the path of development to bring the embattled state out of the morass.
However, that was not to be. On July 8, a game changing event took place when security forces shot dead Burhan Wani, the most popular militant of Hizbul Mujahideen outfit who had used social media to the hilt to create a niche for himself. Tens of thousands of people came out on streets to protest against the killing. More than 200,000 people took part in his funeral prayers at Tral in south Kashmir. This began a tumultuous phase in the recent history of Kashmir when security forces used “excessive force” to quell the uprising. By the end of October, at least 96 civilians were killed and over 15000 persons injured in action by security forces. The shocking part of the anti-uprising campaign was the unbridled use of pellet guns that ruptured the eyes of hundreds of people.
At Sri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital in Srinagar, more than 120 youth were operated upon after being hit by pellets in their eyes. Some of them like 14-year-old Insha Manzoor lost their vision permanently. Thousands of security personnel also got injured during stone-pelting incidents, officials say.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh visited the Valley thrice but to no avail. He even led a 27-meber parliamentary delegation but it did not cut ice. The separatists who spearheaded a continued shutdown for 133 days, refused to involve in talks. They issued protest calendars every week and crippled the normal life for months together.
The militancy also saw an upsurge, especially the joining of local militants. This year 90 youngsters took up arms, the highest number since 2013. Most of the militants joined the ranks in four south Kashmir districts of Kulgam, Anantnag, Pulwama and Shopian. This is the biggest challenge that the Mehbooba led coalition would face in the coming year.
