#Day21: Army Flees Kurhama After Locals Rise Up In Arms; Excesses Alleged

KL NEWS NETWORK

SRINAGAR

Forces lobbed tear gas shells on unarmed civilians in Srinagar near UN Office on Friday. (KL Image: Bilal Bahadur)

People are angry and are sitting on roads in this highway village of Kurhama in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district.

The locals are accusing army of wreaking havoc in the area. They said armed men of army’s 52 RR based at Badampora entered their area Friday afternoon beaten locals and damaging properties.

A local caller from the area told Kashmir Life that people from many areas including Yangoora, Latiwaza, Kurhama, Barsoo, Kondbal, Wapora assembled near receiving station Kurhama on Srinagar-Leh highway around 2:30 PM soon after congregational Friday prayers culminated.

“It was a peacefully rally where people raised pro-freedom slogans and condemned civilian killings,” a local said wishing anonymity for obvious reasons.

He said that people returned to their homes by 4 PM “but people who had come from Kondbal were intercepted by Badampora camp army where clashes erupted”.

“The youth fled as army used force and army came down the hill and whosoever came their way was beaten,” the locals said.

The locals alleged that some farmers who were on their way to fields were beaten. “The army men even chased women who were going towards their fields,” the locals said.

“By 5:30 pm,” a local said, “the army was in Kurhama village beating locals, damaging properties, window panes.”

“A new car of a local was completely damaged while army broke window panes of main Jamia Masjid,” they said, “some army men were in civvies.”

They said that four youth were arrested and severely beaten. However, the locals could not immediately identify them.

“It was only after some youth made announcements through Masjid loud speakers that people came on roads forcing army to flee the area,” the local said.

People were on roads protesting the army highhandedness till last reports came in.

Meanwhile, local reports from Trehgam said that forces have lobbed scores of tear gas canisters on protestors. “Stone pelting is going on in the area,” they said.

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