Three Youth injured in CRPF firing facilitating traffic on Awantipora Highway

2 kids sustain pellet injuries 

Three people were injured after CRPF personnel allegedly opened fire at youth ‘regulating traffic’ on Srinagar-Jammu highway in Awantipora area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
CRPF spokesperson, Ashish Kumar Jha, called the allegations baseless. “They (CRPF troopers) have not been involved in any such incident to the best of my knowledge,” he said.
The injured include, Danish Dar, teenage son of senior photojournalist, Javed Dar. The other injured have been identified as Junaid and Parvez.
According to reports, the youth came to the rescue of commuters stuck in traffic jam. Eyewitnesses said the youth were trying to clear the jam near IUST crossing when a CRPF vehicle approached and opened fire without any warning.
“We don’t know what they mistook the youth for and opened fire,” the eyewitnesses said.
 The three of them were immediately shifted to SMHS hospital in Srinagar where all of them have been stated to be safe.
Police, meanwhile, have confirmed the injuries.
“Shopkeepers in the area have maintained that two CRPF bunkers, while moving to Srinagar, fired two rounds after a tyre burst in the area,” a senior police official from the area said.
There are three injuries, said the official. He said that one of the injured has a fire arm injury to his shoulder.
“But two of them have splinter injuries which is being looked into,” said the official.
He said that the police were talking to more people in the area to ascertain the facts.
An encounter between militants and government forces was also underway in a nearby village, Dogripora.
A 13-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy received pellet injuries near the encounter site.
According to reports, Iqra, daughter of Rafiq Ahmad Dar and Owais son of Muhammad Yusuf Dar were injured. However, it remains unclear how the duo received pellet injuries as there were no protests in the area.
The Dogripora village was cordoned off Tuesday evening at about 5:15 PM following intelligence inputs regarding presence of militants.
“Militants opened fire as soon as the cordon was laid. The fire was duly retaliated ensuing an encounter,” a senior police official from the area said.
He, however, added that there was a lull for more than an hour after the initial fire.
“Searches are being conducted in the area. We don’t know for sure whether the militants are still trapped or have fled,” the police official said.

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