April 03
The recent killings of civilians in Kashmir “needs to be investigated,” Stephane Dijarric, the spokesperson for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Monday as protests swept the state.
“Civilians have to be protected wherever they are, whether it is in Gaza, whether it is in Jammu and Kashmir, whether it is in Yemen; it is a basic principle,” he said in reply to a reporter’s question. “Any loss of civilians needs to be investigated wherever they occur.”
Four civilians were killed in Shopian district during operations against militants on Sunday.
Three Armymen and 12 militants were also killed during fierce fighting on Sunday.
During protests on Monday in Srinagar, police intervened in the Polo View area on Residency Road as protesters tried to move towards the headquarters of UN Military Observers Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) in Sonwar area.
Earlier at his daily briefing, Dujarric said: “The Secretaray-General is very concerned about the situation we see in Jammu Kashmir.”
“He reminds that member states are responsible under international humanitarian law to protect civilians,” he added. “The Secretary-General reiterates his call on member states to find ways to address disputes in a peaceful manner.”