A class 7 student was killed in northern Kupwara district after he was hit by pellets fired by security forces during clashes in Mandigam village on Thursday evening, officials said.
A senior police official confirmed the death of the teenagerand said an “investigation will be carried out into the incident”. On the otherhand, deputy commissioner KupwaraAnshulGarg also said that an investigationwill be initiated into the killing on Friday.
“As security forces and the police were withdrawing fromMandigam in the evening, a group of youths started pelting stones at them. Thesecurity forces, in turn, fired pellets which hit a boy, leaving him criticallyinjured,” local residents said.
The injured boy, identified as Owais Ahmad Mir, 13—a class 7student—was immediately evacuated to district hospital Handwara, where doctorspronounced him “dead on arrival”, they said.
“The boy had suffered multiple pellet injuries, mostly onhis chest,” said medical superintendent of district hospital Handwara, DrRouf.
Meanwhile, in Palhallan area of Baramulla district, at least20 persons including 12 civilians and eight policemen were injured afterclashes broke out between youths and the police on Thursday evening.
The injured included a woman, later identified as RajaBegum.
Local hospital authorities said one of the injured personshas received a bullet in his arm.
“20 injured persons including eight police were brought tosub-district hospital Pattan on Thursday evening. One of the injured hasreceived a bullet in his arm. All injured are stable,” said DrMasrat, blockmedical officer Pattan.
According to reports, clashes broke out in the evening whensecurity forces were about to withdraw from the poll-bound area.
“As soon as the police were about to withdraw from the area,a group of youth engaged police and paramilitary forces in intensestone-pelting clashes. The security forces fired teargas shells to disperse theprotesters,” said a local police officer.
The clashes continued for several hours, during which few vehicles also suffered damage, local residents said.
MUZAMIL SHAH