11 injured as Army ‘thrashes’ residents in Pulwama village after IED blast
Pulwama, Oct 19: At least eleven people have sustained injuries after an Army party on Thursday night thrashed them in Tricahl village of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, hours after their armoured vehicle was hit by an IED blast triggered by the militants which left seven soldiers injured.
Villagers said that the army entered the houses of the village and thrashed the inmates, and vandalized the properties.
“Everybody in the village was beaten up ruthlessly, irrespective of age and gender,” residents alleged, adding that at least eleven people were injured and had to be hospitalized.
The injured persons were shifted to District Hospital Pulwama for the treatment and a hospital official identified them as Showkat Ahmad Dar, son of Ali Mohammad Dar; Nayeema Banu, wife of Azhar Malik; Wazira, wife of Irshad Ahmad; Irshad Ahmad, son of Mohammad Anwar Alaie; Raja Banu, wife of Anwar Alaie; Basharat, son of Bashir Ahmad Alaie; Gulzar Ahmad, son of Abdul Gani Bhat; Gousia Jan, daughter of Mushtaq Ahmad Dar; Ali Mohammad Dar, son of Mohammad Abdulaha Dar; Shafeeqa, wife of Gulzar Ahmad; Muneeb Showkat, son of Showkat Ahmad Dar; Saiqa Jan, daughter of Ghulam Ahmad Dar.”
Hours before the incident, seven army-men had sustained injuries and their Casper vehicle was damaged in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast in Lassipora area of the district.
A police official said that around 9:45 pm yesterday militants triggered the IED planted under a bridge on Trichal-Lassipora road when the armored vehicle (Casper) of 55 RR was crossing the bridge.
Among the injured three seriously wounded soldiers were airlifted to Army’s 92 base hospital and four others were taken to a nearby military health facility.
The residents said that property worth lakhs was destroyed by the army. They said several persons, including women, suffered injuries from the beating.
Meanwhile, an Army spokesman in Srinagar said they were ascertaining the facts regarding the incident.
A house very close to blast site has lost all the mirrors of the window panes due to blast. Owner of the damaged house said that the sound of the blast was very bang and all the members of the family were very frightened and we holed up ourselves in one room.
A police official said that we are ascertaining the facts about the incident.
