The security has been beefed up in Kashmir ahead of Independence Day in the wake of spurt in violent activities in southern districts of the Valley. While Pulwama district observed shutdown for the second consecutive day to protest killing of a civilian allegedly by Border Security Force (BSF) personnel following death of two lashkar-e-Tayyeba (leT) militants, a mysterious explosion in the premises of a mosque in Shopian district wounded ten worshippers.
Sources said stray incidents of clashes between protesters and police took place in Pulwama district where shutdown was observed for the second consecutive day. The normal life has come to a grinding halt since Wednesday in the area after security forces shot dead two leT militants in 19-hour-long gun-battle in Ratnipora-lajura stretch. The situation worsened when a civilian Bilal Ahmad Bhat was killed allegedly by BSF troops at Malangpora.
IG BSF (Kashmir frontier), Jagat Singh, termed Bhat’s killing as unfortunate and said the inquiry committee has been set up to probe the incident. Police have lodged FIR against BSF Road Opening Party alleged to be involved in the killing but BSF has lodged a counter- FIR claiming their troops fired in self-defence after they came under attack from a mob that put the troops into a life threatening situation.
The family of the slain youth has described Bhat’s killing as “cold-blooded murder”. The State Government has ordered time-bound inquiry into the incident.