Civilians protest iftar organised by troops in Shopian, 4 injured in army firing

Troops of the Army’s counter-insurgency force, 34 Rashtriya Rifles, had erected a tent outside a mosque to host an iftar feast for the locals.

Four women, including two sisters, were wounded in Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian district when Army troops allegedly fired at a group of civilians protesting an iftar feast organised by the force, police said on Tuesday.

The injured were rushed to a hospital and their condition is stated to be stable after the firing in Shopian’s DK Pora area last evening, a police official said.

Troops of the Army’s counter-insurgency force, 34 Rashtriya Rifles, had erected a tent outside a mosque to host an iftar feast for the locals.

According to eyewitnesses, the residents objected to it as they had already communicated their disinterest to the Army’s local unit.

Clashes broke out when the locals asked the soldiers to leave but the latter resisted, they said.

In the ensuing melee, the troops opened fire at the protestors, the eyewitnesses added.

Taking cognisance of the incident, an investigation has been initiated, the police official said.

A defence spokesperson said a detailed statement about the incident would be issued later in the day.

A media interaction of General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 15 Corps, Lt General A K Bhatt, in Bandipora district today was cancelled by the army without giving any reasons.