Jammu and Kashmir: Two stone pelters killed, 7 Indian Army jawans injured in clash at Shopian

Two persons were killed and seven Indian Army jawans including a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) suffered critical injuries in a clash between stone pelters and security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian district on Saturday.

Indian Army jawans resorted to indiscriminate firing after people numbering in hundreds tried to lynch it’s officer and vandalise vehicles, Indian Army said.

Jammu and Kashmir government has ordered a magisterial probe into the incident.

The two deceased in the firing have been identified as Javaid Ahmed Butt and Suhail Ahmed Khan.

The Indian Army in its statement claimed that the forces had to open fire in self-defence to prevent lynching of a junior commissioned officer by a mob.

An Indian Army spokesperson in its statement said, “Administrative convoy was passing through Ganaupura chowk in Shopian when it came under intense stone pelting by a group of at least 100 people.”

“Within no time, the numbers increased to 250 people. The huge mob surrounded an isolated portion of the convoy consisting of four vehicles. They tried to set the vehicle on fire,” read the statement.

Also read: Encounter breaks out between militants, security forces in J-K

The statement further added that a junior commissioned officer accompanying the convoy got hit and fell unconscious. “The mob tried to lynch the individual and snatch his weapon. The crowd further closed in towards the vehicle and attempted to set them on fire,” read the Army statement.

Joint security forces in large numbers had been deployed in Shopian to thwart any untoward incident and gathering of terrorists at the villages after two militants were gunned down two days back.