Indian troops kill four Kashmiris in brutal raid

By News Desk

ISLAMABAD: Four Kashmiri youths were killed on Sunday in a brutal cordon and search operation carried out by Indian occupation forces in held Kashmir, amid an ongoing military siege in the disputed territory.

The youths were killed by the troops during an operation in the Watrigam area of district Islamabad in the early hours of Sunday, according to the Kashmir Media Service. The troops sealed all the entry points of several areas — Watrigam, Achabal and Islamabad — and launched massive door-to-door search operations.

One of the slain youths was identified as Tariq Ahmed. The operation was ongoing as the last reports came in.

In north Kashmir, India’s infamous National Investigation Agency (NIA) carried out multiple raids in various villages of Pattan district, and at least two houses, belonging to traders, were searched for many hours. The NIA sleuths were accompanied by Central Armed Police Force as well as police personnel.

Separately, two youths, identified as Nazir Wani and Bashir Wani, both residents of Sheikhpora Tarathpora, Vilgam, were arrested in north Kashmir’s Handwara sub-district. The police said they were arrested at a checkpoint at the Kralgund-Ananwan Hajan crossing.

Meanwhile, a Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (Tada) court in occupied Jammu framed charges against Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Chairman Yasin Malik and other Kashmiri freedom leaders in a case registered against them around 30 years ago.

The Tada Court’s presiding officer, Subash C Gupta, framed the charges against Yasin Malik, Ali Mohammad Mir, Manzoor Sofi, Javed Mir, Saleem, Javed Zarger and Shoukat Bakshi without giving them the proper opportunity to defend themselves.

The charges were framed under Sections 302, 307 Ranbir Penal Code (RPC), Section 3 (3) and Section 4(1) of Tada Act, 1987 and Section 7/27 of Arms Act 1959 read with Section 120-B of the RPC in the much publicised Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel killing case on Saturday.