With the death of 21-year-old Yawar Ahmad Dar, the civilian death toll in government forces action reached five in the first ten days after Eid when New Delhi ordered anti-militancy operations to restart in Kashmir.
During the month-long Ramadhan ceasefire two civilians were killed in Kashmir valley.
Dar, a school dropout and resident of Gasipora village who helped his father in his petty scrape dealer business received a bullet in his chest on Sunday when government forces fired at protestors in Thokrpora-Qaimoh, three kilometers away from the site of a gun battle involving militants.
LeT commander Shakoor Dar along with his associate Haider, believed to be a Pakistani resident were killed in the gunfight at Chidder-Mutalhama in Qaimoh area triggering protests in the area.
Two civilians were killed in Pulwama district during the Ramdhan ceasefire, one of them a teenager just two days before Eid.
On June 16, Sheraz Ahmad Naikoo of Brakpora village died during protests after Eid prayers that day. Residents alleged he was killed by government forces, police however claimed Naikoo died after a grenade exploded, implying militants killed him.
But doctors maintained he had pellet injuries in his neck and head.
Days later, Ajaz Ahmad Bhat of Aakhran-Nowpora in Devsar area died allegedly in army firing in his native village during protests over ‘army highhandedness’.
On Friday 55-year-old Muhamad Yousuf died during a firefight between militants and government forces at Khiram-Noushera in Srigufwara-Bijbehara which also left four militants and a police counterinsurgency personnel dead.
On Sunday, Shahid Nazir Hajam, 19, of Sirhama village who had sustained bullet injury in the head during protests near the encounter site in Srigufwara also succumbed to his injury yesterday.