A 10-year old kid, an expecting mother, a journalist, two-mentally challenged men, a 14-year-old-militant, three-militants holding doctorate degrees were among the dead in 2018, which has been the deadliest year in a decade in Kashmir.
The report released by activist group International Forum For Justice and Human Rights JK (IFJHRJK) stated a total of 450 people have lost their lives in Kashmir in 2018. It includes 240 militants, 95 forces personnel and 115 civilians. It also states 95 encounters took place in Kashmir in the year in which 120 houses were destroyed.
A total of 60 civilians were killed near encounter sites and 27 people were shot dead during protests, while 33 people were killed at the hands of unidentified gunmen, it mentions.
IFJHRJK report states that Musharraf Fayaz (10) died after getting injured in an explosion in Shopian in January, while pregnant lady Firdousa lost her life to bullets in “cross firing”. Senior journalist Shujaat Bukhari was also shot dead outside his office at Press Enclave.
It also says two mentally challenged persons Syed Habibullah and Rayees Ahmad Wani were also killed. While former received bullets, report mentions, for trespassing into Air Force Station in Budgam, later was killed by forces at Pahnoo Shopian. The report also mentions about three doctorate degree holding militants including Dr Rafi, Dr Abdul Manan Wani and Dr Sabzar Ahmad Sofi, who were also killed in the year.
The report also mentions about minor Sadiq Khursheed, who lost his life while playing with an unexploded shell at his home at Memander Shopian.
The report says November has been bloodiest month in the year with 49 killings. It also marks April 1 as the deadliest day, when 20 people were killed, while over 200 were injured in a single day in Kashmir.
“This year we saw 120 houses were razed to the ground. A house is a person’s life long investment. Nobody will invite combatants to his house. We have filed petitions in this case, but there has been no reply. There is no policy to rehabilitate them. Justice bodies should take cognizance of it,” IFJHRJK chairman Ahsan Untoo told the Greater Kashmir.
Deadliest year in a decade:
According to the monitoring group Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society(JKCCS) the death toll for the year is 583 including 159 forces personnel, 267 militants and 157 civilians.
As per statistics of JKCCS, there have been 460, 370, 228, 143, 203, 235, 219, 395, 449—killings respectively in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017. The killings include forces personnel, militants and civilians.