Irshad Hussain
Amid Protests and clashes, Three youths who were killed in an encounter with Government Forces in Srinagar’s HMT area have been buried at least a hundred kilometres away from home in Sonmarg area Ganderbal district.
Speaking to The Kashmiriyat the brother of one of the slain youth said that the families of the three youth were called to the Police control room of Srinagar where the bodies of the trio were kept, after which only limited members of the family were escorted by the Police to a graveyard in Sonmarg.
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“We are still there burying our dead,” the family member said.
The slain were identified as Ajaz Maqbool Ganie, Ather Mushtaq both residents of Pulwama and Zubair Lone resident of Shopian and associated with Militant outfit, Al Badr as per the officials.
Intense clashes also broke out in Gun Hassi Bhat and adjoining areas of Srinagar outskirts on Wednesday noon between local youth and Government Forces.
Eyewitnesses from the area told The Kashmiriyat that as soon as the news of the encounter spread, people from adjoining areas hit the streets throwing stones on Government Force personnel deployed in the area.
The troopers fired tear smoke shells and pellets to disperse the protesters shouting slogans.
Meanwhile, traffic that had been suspended on the Srinagar- Baramulla highway has been restored after more than 15 hours, Officials said. “The area has been cleared for traffic movement,” they said.
Last night, the encounter that broke out was put at a halt during night hours and the layers of cordon were tightened by Government forces “to stop the militants from fleeing.”
Later on Wednesday morning, the Indian Army claimed that three Militants had been killed, however, the Families have contested their version and said the trio had nothing to do with Militants.
The families of the trio have been claiming that the three have nothing to do with Militancy and the encounter is staged. “Our sons were killed in cold blood,” said the family of one of the three South Kashmir residents.