Abid Bashir
Srinagar (NVI): The Army today ordered an investigation into a gunbattle that took place at Ashimpora village of Shopian district in south Kashmir on July 18 in which three terrorists were killed.
The probe was ordered after families of three missing youths from Rajouri district of Jammu claimed on the basis of photographs being circulated on social media that their wards, who were working as labourers in Shopian, were killed in a fake encounter.
The family members of the three youths who lost contact with them on July 18, have now demanded DNA cross-examinations as they have apprehensions that those killed in the encounter were their wards. The Army, however, said that all three “slain militants” remained unidentified and it has ordered an investigation after the claims.
Defence Spokesman in Srinagar, Colonel Rajesh Kalia said that the Army has taken cognizance of some social media posts linked to the operation at Shopian on July 18. “The three militants killed during the operation have not been identified and the bodies were buried based on the established protocols. Army is investigating the matter,” he said.
Army’s statement came after some unverified social media posts claiming that “three labourers were killed in a fake encounter at Shopian on July 18.”
Three families from Rajouri district of Jammu filed missing reports of their kin yesterday at Peeri Police station, Rajouri. They have claimed that the three youths — Ibrar Ahmed, Imtiaz Ahmed and third one also Ibrar Ahmed, were working as labourers in Shopian, adding that all were residents of Rajouri district of Jammu.
They have claimed that all three were in touch with their parents till July 17. “But on July 18, the phones of all three came as switched off,” said Muhamamd Yousuf, father of Ibrar Ahmed, one of the missing youths.
“After failing to trace them, we lodged missing report on Sunday at concerned police station. Our demand now is that J&K DGP and IGP Kashmir allow exhumation of bodies for DNA mapping. We are ready for cross-examinations of the samples. The photographs of the slain that have gone viral suggest trio are our children,” he said.
On July 18, J&K police in a statement said that on a specific input by 62 RR about the presence of militants in Amshipora area of Shopian, an operation was launched.
“During search, militants fired upon Army personnel and encounter started. Later on, police and CRPF also joined. In the encounter, three unidentified militants were killed,” the police statement had said. “Bodies of all the killed three militants were retrieved from the site of encounter and the identification and affiliation of the slain are being ascertained.”
The police statement had read that the bodies of the slain militants were sent to Baramulla for their last rites after conducting medico-legal formalities including the collection of their DNA, in case any family claims the deceased to be their kin.
However, social media remained abuzz today with netizens posting updates that “July 18 Shopian encounter was stage-managed and trio killed were labourers from Rajouri district.”
-ARK
