Militants abducted four civilians in Kashmir and later brutally killed two of them in the past 24 hours. The killings were filmed and uploaded on social media, evoking severe criticism from political parties.
In three decades of militancy, militants have rarely filmed killings and uploaded the videos on social media.
According to the police, one of the victims, Huzaif Ashraf, 19, from Kulgam’s Manzgam was kidnapped on Saturday morning. “Ashraf was killed in a brutal act of terror by militants later. The body was spotted at Shopian’s Hermain village,” said the police. The incident has sent shock waves in Shopian-Kulgam belt of south Kashmir.
The throat of the youth was slit by the militants. “Why did the militants kill him? If he had done any wrong, we would have apologised on his behalf,” Huzaif’s grief-stricken relative said.
Two other civilians, Shahid Ahmad Ganie and Farooq Ahmad, both from Saidpora Payeen, who were abducted with Huzaif were released.
Student shot dead
Huzaif’s killing comes just a day after militants killed Nadeem Manzoor, an 18-year-old student, and uploaded the video of the incident.
The video, according to the police, has the voice of a Hizbul Mujahideen commander interrogating a civilian, who apparently admits to tipping-off police about two Hizb militants, who were killed in an encounter earlier this month. Later in the video, unidentified militants raise slogans and made Manzoor crouch down while shooting him several times.
“The cold blooded murder of an 11th standard student by the Hizbul Mujahideen terror outfit is deeply disturbing. There can be no justification for this act and should force those who sympathise with these outfits to question how these murders make Kashmir a better, freer place,” said former chief minister and National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah.
BJP president Ravinder Raina blamed Pakistan for “brutal killing of a student”. CPI (M) MLA Kulgam, M.Y. Tarigami termed the killings “shocking and unfortunate”.
In another incident, another civilian, Shiraz Ahmed, abducted by gunmen on October 21, at Laroo village of Kulgam district remains untraced, according to the family.
Security guards foiled attempts by militants to barge into the house of BJP leader Javaid Qadri in Shopian. An official said, “Security guards guarding the house fired in the air to foil the militants bid.”
Locals said the gunmen took him along immediately after three militants were killed inside Ahmad’s house in Laroo. Later, an explosion killed seven civilians inside the house. “Militants are claiming that Shiraz is not with them. We fail to understand who abducted him and what is his fault. A man was sent by militants who told us that militants have not abducted him,” said Ahmed’s wife Nusrat Banoo.
