SRINAGAR - Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred four more Kashmiri youth on Monday, declaring them ‘militants attempting to cross border’ into Indian-occupied Kashmir.
The youth were martyred during a violent military operation in Keran area of Kupwara district, 140 kilometres northwest of the main city of Srinagar, the Kashmir Media Service reported.
Only a day before, on Sunday, Indian forces had martyred at least eight people and injured more than 100 when they opened fire on demonstrators protesting against sham parliamentary elections in Badgam, Srinagar and Gandarbal districts.
However, the poll drama totally flopped with lowest-ever turnout which, according to New Delhi’s own claims, remained around 6.5 percent.
On Monday Indian police imposed curfew-like curbs on movement of people across several parts of disputed Kashmir, a day after clashes with protesters during a by-election killed eight people and injured more than 200.
Police blocked roads with barricades and restricted movement of vehicles. Some train services were also suspended in the region, a railway official said. Internet services too will remained suspended in the entire Kashmir valley till April 12, officials told media men.
Meanwhile, complete shutdown was observed across the territory on Monday against the killing of eight civilians on polling day.
Call for the two-day strike and protest was given by the joint resistance leadership comprising Syed Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik. In view of the strike, the Kashmir University had postponed all the examinations.
Thousands of people on Monday participated in the funeral prayers of martyred people in different areas of Badgam and Gandarbal districts.
The bodies of martyred were taken to the graveyards in big processions amid high-pitched anti-India and pro-freedom slogans. Pakistani flags were also hoisted on the occasion.
On Monday, Indian forces attacked the residence of All Parties Hurriyet Conference (APHC) Spokesman Ayaz Akbar and beat him ruthlessly. He is under house arrest at Maloora in the outskirts of Srinagar.
“The paramilitary personnel came and broke the window panes of my house. They also thrashed me to the pulp and even abused the policemen deployed at my residence,” Ayaz said in a media interview.
Azad Kashmir Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan said that the lowest turnout of sham parliamentary elections in occupied Kashmir has showed that Kashmiris do not accept any electoral or political process under Indian constitution.
He strongly condemned killing of four more Kashmiri youth by Indian troops on Monday.
