Youth killed in Budgam firing

Azhar Qadri

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, July 21

A youth was killed after an Army patrol opened fire mistaking a firecracker thrown at it for a grenade in central Kashmir’s Budgam district on Friday as the region observed a shutdown called by separatist leaders.

The youth identified as Tanveer Ahmad Pala was killed when soldiers, returning from a patrol to their base, opened fire at Beerwah town in Budgam district, the police said.

A police spokesman said the soldiers were on a foot patrol and “retaliated” after mistaking a firecracker for a grenade. “A foot patrol of the Army was returning to its camp and near Beerwah some miscreants threw stones at them. Someone among the miscreants also hurled a firecracker towards the Army,” the police spokesman said. The spokesman said that “because of the bang, the Army men thought a grenade was hurled and they retaliated”. “Two persons identified as Tanveer Ahmad Pala and Mohammad Ibrahim Wani were injured. Among them, Tanveer succumbed to his injuries while Ibrahim is stable,” the police said. An Army spokesman, however, said the stone-throwers “tried to snatch weapons from the soldiers” following which the troops opened fire.

Ghulam Mohammad Dar, Chief Medical Officer, Budgam, said Pala was brought dead to the hospital and “had a bullet injury in the head”. Hundreds of civilians later came out to protest against the killing of Pala and raised slogans in Beerwah town as the administration ordered an immediate shutdown of mobile Internet services in Budgam district to prevent largescale gatherings and protests. The incident took place at a time when the Kashmir valley is observing a shutdown called by separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik to register a protest against “all killings of Kashmiris”. In response to the call for the shutdown, all major markets and commercial establishments remained shut in the region while public transport also remained off the roads.

‘Firecracker mistaken as grenade by Army’ 

• The police said a youth was killed when Army soldiers, returning from a patrol to their base, opened fire at Beerwah town in Budgam district after mistaking a firecracker for a grenade
• An Army spokesman, however, said the stone-throwers "tried to snatch weapons from the soldiers" following which the troops opened fire