By Sheikh Imran Bashir, AIP
Srinagar: Two persons were today killed allegedly by CRPF when the paramilitary personnel were attacked by a rampaging mob following an encounter with militants in Sopore town of north Kashmir this evening.
Two youth were killed in Sopore town in North Kashmir Friday evening as security
personnel, returning from a gunfight, and opened fire when a violent mob attacked their vehicle and set it ablaze, police said.
A senior police officer told Agence India Press that a highly agitated mob attacked and torched a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) vehicle in Sopore town as the troopers were returning from the Bagh-i-islam Krankshivan area of the town where two guerrillas of Laskar-e-Taiba (LeT) were killed and two security men injured in a gunfight. Earlier reports had identified the guerrillas as belonging to the Hizbul Mujahideen.
The locals claimed one of the two persons killed in the encounter was a civilian.
“After their vehicle was attacked and torched, the CRPF cops fired in self-defence injuring five people, two of whom later succumbed to injuries,” the police officer said.
The two killed youth have been identified as Shakeel Ahmad Ganai, son of Abdul Aziz
Ganai of Lalad, Sopore and Firdous Ahmad Kakroo, son of Nazir Ahmad Kakroo of
Krankshivan, Sopore.
The other three injured people are being treated in the hospital.
CRPF spokesman Prabhakar Tripathy told Agence India Press that paramilitary forces opened fire when the mob set on fire a vehicle of the force during the demonstration.
The locals refuted the claims and charged the CRPF in turn, of killing an innocent man. They claimed that it was only when the CRPF opened fire, that the CRPF vehicle, was set ablaze.
High tension has gripped Sopore town in the wake of this incident and additional deployments of CRPF and police have been sent to maintain law and order there.
According to the sources authorities has imposed curfew in Sopore town.
However both Hurriyat factions announce complete strike call on tomorrow against the fresh Sopore killings, and suspected human right violations.
Hurriyat (M) led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq called for Sopore Chalo on Monday ( June 26).