18 local ultras killed in 2017: Rights body

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, April 1

In the first three months of 2017, the government forces have killed 33 militants, including 18 local ultras, in J&K.

The trend points to the increasing inclusion of local youths into the armed insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir, Srinagar-based human rights group Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society said in a statement today. However, it noted with concern the government’s response towards “people’s protest,” saying it had “only become more violent in the past year.”

“In the first three months of the year, at least 14 civilians have been shot dead by the government forces and two civilians were killed by suspected militants,” it said, adding in 2016, only seven civilians were killed in the action of government forces between January to March.

“Out of the 14 civilians killed in the first three months of this year, eight died in firing of government forces near the encounter sites. This is slowly becoming a new norm of the state violence in Jammu and Kashmir, where government forces fire upon civilian protestors near the encounter sites,” it added.

“What has changed, however, is the number of local militants killed in forces’ action in J&K. In the first three months of 2016, nine local militants were killed in government and armed forces’ action while this year a total of 18 local militants have been killed,” the human rights group said, adding that the “trend points to increasing inclusion of local boys into the armed insurgency in J&K.”