December 20
The civilian killings in Kashmir Valley in the past four years has increased manifold, as per stats, In contrast to 41 civilian killings in 2015, at least 130 civilians were killed till December 01 in current year-2018, as per figures available to The Kashmiriyat, the list does not include those killed during ceasefire Violations along the Line of Control that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan.
From 2015 to 2018, Kashmir has witnessed at least 383 civilian killings. At least 126 civilians died in 2016 and so far the number of civilian casualties is same in the first 11 months of current year, in 2017, at least 86 civilians were killed in Jammu Kashmir.
As per figures available to The Kashmiriyat, 12 civilians were killed in January, On 9 January, One Civilian Khalid Ahmed Dar (22) who received a bullet injury at Khudwani succumbed at DH of Islamabad (Anantnag), On January 24, One civilian identified as Shakir Ahmed Mir was killed when Forces opened fire on Protesters at encounter site in Chaigund area of South Kashmir’s Shopian District, One girl Saima Jan sister of Sameer Ahmed Wani succumbed to her injuries few days later after being hit by a bullet in Chaigund area, one civilian killed when he was “fiddling” with explosives at an Un-sanitized encounter site. On January 27, three civilians named Javid Ahmed Bhat, Suhail Ahmad Lone and Rayees Ahmad Ganie were shot dead in Ganopora area of South Kashmir’s Shopian District, one civilian was also killed by unidentified gunmen in Sopore.
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6 civilians were killed in the month of February, 12 civilians were again killed in March, as per figures available to The Kashmiriyat, four civilians were shot dead by Forces in Pehnoo area of South Kashmir’s Shopian District on March 05, the civilians were identified as Gowhar Ahmad Lone,Suhail Khalil Wagay, Muhammad Shahid Khan and Shahnawaz Ahmad Wagay.
18 civilians were also killed in April as per figures available to The Kashmiriyat, 04 were killed civilians were also shot dead when Forces opened fire upon protesters in Kachdoora and Dragad areas of Shopian on April 01, These civilians included Mehraj u Din Mir of Wokay Kulgam, Muhammad Iqbal of Khasipora Shopian, Zubair Ahmed Bhat, Mushtaq Ahmed Thokar. On 11 April, four Civilians were shot dead at the hands of Government Forces in Khudwani area of South Kashmir’s Kulgam District, they were identified as Sarjeel Sheikh, Bilal Ahmed Tantray ,Faisal Ilahi and Aijaz Ahmed Pala. Two civilians were killed in Drubgam area of Pulwama on April 30, They were identified as Shafaq Shabir of Hergam Shopian and Shahid Ahmed of Arihal Pulwama. Three residents of Jamia Mohalla Baramulla were also killed by unidentified gunmen on April 30. Unidentified gunmen also killed Gowhar Ahmed Rather and Aamir Ahmed Lone of Kangan, Muntazir Ahmed and Manzoor Ahmed of Hajin Bandipora, Kifayat Ahmed of Moolu Shopian, Ghulam Nabi Patel of Rajpora.
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In May 2018, As incidents reported by The Kashmiriyat, 14 civilians were killed, out of them five were killed when Forces opened fire on protesters in Badigam area of Shopian during a gunfight trickled in, youth took to the streets and clashed with security forces. They were identified as Asif Ahmad Mir, Zubair Ahmad Negroo, Yasir Ahmad, Adil Ahmad and Sajad Ahmad, in this encounter, top Militant commander Saddam Padder was killed, one civilian was also killed when Militant’s attacked Army camp in Kakpora area of Pulwama, on 25 May, Muhammad Yaqoob Wagay in the Hajin area was killed by unidentified gunmen.
11 civilians including top Journalist, Shuja’at Bukhari were killed in June, Two civilians identified as Mohammed Yusuf Rather and Shahid Hajam were shot dead by Forces in Sirigufwara area of South Kashmir’s Islamabad (anantnag) District on June 22. Yawar Dar of Gassipora in Wanpoh was shot dead on 24 June in Quimoh area of Kulgam District in South Kashmir when top commander of Lashkar e Taiba, Shakoor Dar was killed in an encounter, on 29 June, One civilian identified as Faizan Ahmad Khan was killed during an encounter in Chatpora area of Pulwama District.
10 Civilians were killed in the month of July, On 07 July, three civilians including a 13 year old girl were shot dead when Army opened fire on unarmed civilians in Hawoora area of Kulgam. They were identified as Shakir Ahmed 22, Irshad Majid 20 and aged Andleeba 13, On 09 July Cousin of a Slain Militant, Bilal Ahmed Mehand was killed by unidentified gunmen in South Kashmir.
As per Figures available to The Kashmiriyat, seven were killed each in August and September, on 04 August Bilal Ahmad Khan who lived in Kral Chak during the Keller encounter in Shopian, on August 05, A civilian was killed in Jammu Kashmir’s Ramban district when Government Force personnel opened fire after noticing suspicious movement, police said on Sunday. On 08 September, unknown Gunmen fired at Ishfaq Ahmad, a student of Islamic University, in Hazratbal area of the city this evening, earlier on the same day unknown gunmen had shot Hakim-ul-Rehman Sultani, an activist of Hurriyat group led by Geelani in Bomai area of Sopore town, on 11 September, Abdul Ahad Ganai, a PhD scholar from Aligarh Muslim University, was shot dead in his car in Srinagar’s Khanyar locality.
September also witnessed 7 Civilian Deaths, as per figures available to The Kashmiriyat. On 15 September Rouf Ahmad, a resident of Chee in Islamabad (anantnag), succumbed to injuries on way to the hospital after being injured in a gunfight near Czogam area in Kulgam.
13 Civilians were killed in October, on 5th October, unknown gunmen shot dead two National Conference workers in Karfali Mohalla Srinagar. The killed political workers were identified as Nazir Ahmad Bhat and Mushtaq Ahmad Wani. Rayees Ahmed Sofi was killed On October 17 in a gunfight in Fateh Kadal area of Srinagar, October 21 proved to be a bloodiest day of the month that saw seven civilians killed in the Laroo area of South Kashmir’s Kulgam district.
Eight civilians were shot dead in November, On November 03, Government Forces shot dead a mentally challenged youth in South Kashmir, On November 04, A civilian was killed in Khudpora area of Shopian, he was identified Shahid Mir, a resident of Khudpora, On 25 November, During a protest following the encounter in Kapran Shopian, Nouman Ashraf Bhat, a 16-year-old boy from Bolus Kulgam was shot dead, as per figures available to The Kashmiriyat.
Civilian causalities have increased manifold near encounter sites as more civilians continue to throng the encounter sites. During several recent gunfights, moreover, civilians diverted the soldiers’ attention from the procession in order to help the Militants escape unscathed. These trends have alerted Indian agencies.
Despite constant warnings, the involvement of young boys and girls in the stone-pelting and other massive protest demonstrations speaks volumes about the present scenario of the valley. The youngsters are coming out openly in defiance of Cordon and search operations and anti militancy operations to give a chance to Militants to escape. According to Police Data, at least 106 civilians died in the firing of Forces while trying to defend Militants in a span of eighteen months starting from January 2017.
In the past couple of years, stone throwing has become a norm in Kashmir to engage the cordoning Army men to give a chance to trapped Militants to escape.