Army Orders Probe Into Deaths Of 3 Civilians Detained For Questioning

Srinagar:

The army has ordered an investigation into the death of three civilians after they were detained by troops for questioning in connection with a terrorist attack on Friday in Jammu and Kashmir.

Three civilians – Mohammad Safeer, Shabir Ahmad, and Showkat Hussain – were found dead after they were detained for questioning along with over a dozen other villagers from Bafliaz area on Friday.

A senior officer said a thorough probe has been ordered into the civilian deaths.

A purported video showing troops beating and torturing civilians has gone viral. The authenticity of the video has not been established even as families allege that dead were among the people being tortured in the military station.

Around a dozen injured villagers have been shifted to a hospital. The families and political parties have alleged custodial torture.

The officer said the is also looking into the veracity of the video circulated on social media.

In the past seven months, more than 20 soldiers including officers and Special Forces commandos were killed in terrorist attacks in the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri. Except one encounter at Kalakote last month, attackers managed to escape in all other incidents.

On Thursday, terrorists ambushed two vehicles of the army near Bafliaz. Four soldiers were killed and three others were injured. After the attack, terrorists managed to escape.

The region, known as Pirpanjal region, had been free from terrorism since 2003. It resurfaced in October 2021 after a major attack on the army. The army has said some 25 foreign terrorists are still operating in the region.