Reacting to the incident regarding the death of three civilians at the site of an anti-militancy operation in Poonch following the killing of five soldiers in a terrorist attack on Thursday, the Army has said it stands committed to extending full cooperation to the investigations.
“Reports have been received regarding three civilian deaths in the area. The matter is under investigation. Indian Army stands committed to extending full support and cooperation in the conduct of investigations,’’ a statement issued by ADG Pi read.
Three civilians identified as Safeer Hussain, 43, Mohammad Showket, 27, and Mohammad Shabir 32, residents of village Topi, were found dead under suspicious circumstances near the site of an ambush by terrorists at Dera Ki Gali in Surankote tehsil of Poonch district on Thursday.
The J&K government has announced the initiation of legal action regarding the deaths of civilians and also pledged compensation and jobs for the families of the deceased.
The Information and Public Relations Office of J&K in a post on X, said, “The death of three civilians was reported yesterday in Baffliaz of Poonch District. Medico-legal formalities were conducted, and appropriate legal action has been initiated. The government announced compensation and compassionate appointments for each deceased. Additionally, security forces launched a massive cordon-and-search operation in the area following the attack.”
Political parties in Jammu and Kashmir have alleged that the three men found dead were among those detained by the Army for questioning in connection with the previous day's attack that claimed four soldiers' lives and injured two.
The National Conference (NC) has demanded an inquiry into the civilian deaths. NC general secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar condemned the killing of both soldiers and innocent civilians, calling for an inquiry into the deaths alongside the NIA inquiry.
Former chief minister and president of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mehbooba Mufti expressed grave concern over the situation in Rajouri and Poonch. She demanded a thorough investigation into the civilian killings during Army operation while highlighting signs of torture on their bodies. She criticized the authorities' silence and claimed that normalcy amid such brutality is unimaginable.
Mufti mentioned that of the 15 individuals detained from Topa village, three were found dead and others hospitalised with alleged signs of mistreatment.
She criticised the BJP's 'Naya Kashmir' slogan, stating that even the Army doesn't feel safe in this version of Kashmir. Blaming the central government and state administration, Mufti voiced concern over the escalating situation, citing distressing incidents and restrictions on freedom of expression. She highlighted a pattern of suppressing dissent and challenged the BJP's claims of normalcy.
Referring to past incidents like the Amshipora case, Mufti questioned the integrity of the justice system and urged an immediate probe into the Poonch incident. She demanded compensation for the victims' families and emphasised the need for accountability, and swift action against those responsible.
Meanwhile, the search operation is going on in the area to track down terrorists behind the ambush. A aerial monitoring of the area is also being conducted with helicopters.
The Army has also pressed into service sniffer dogs to trace the perpetrators of the attack.
Meanwhile, the mobile telephone network was suspended in Poonch given the tensions in the area following the death of the three civilians.