Kashmir Bar blames Army for Bandipora incident

Srinagar, July 9 (UNI) The Kashmir Bar Association, in its report, has blamed the Army for destroying several houses during the July 2 encounter with militants in north Kashmir's Bandipora area.

According to the report, Magroo village in Bandipora, which was recently granted a district status, has a population of about 2,000.

On July 2, it said troops of 15 Rashtriya Rifles (RR), 14 RR, 2 Grenadiers, the BSF and the SOG cordoned off the village and started search operation.

The troops searched each house three times. However, nothing incriminating was seized from any house, the report said, adding the villagers were later asked to go back to their houses.

It was at this point, the report alleged, the troops opened firing during which 17 youth were stripped and used as human shield.

Quoting villagers, it alleged, nearly 50 people from the area working with police too were not spared. Some of them were taken along and stripped, the report added.

The Bar alleged that 10 minutes after continuous firing, the Army spread gunpowder on houses setting them ablaze. The villagers were not allowed to come out of their houses, forcing them to jump from the windows.

The report said though the police was informed about the fire at 1600 hrs, they reached the spot at 2000 hrs. Moreover, the troops did not allow fire brigades to enter the village, it alleged.

The report said the locals did not see any militant coming to village before the troops cordoned off the area and neither was any ultra found in any house.

The report also claimed that no one fired from any house on the troops. It said the villagers told the Bar that the cordon was lifted at 1230 hrs next day and after that they saw two bodies - one near the Shaheen Public School and the other at Panchayat Ghar.

Both the bodies were charred beyond recognition, it alleged and claimed that these were recovered from the burnt houses.

However, the report said the troops told journalists that there were two militants holed up in the village - Salahuddin and Abu Hamza. ''It was all misinformation,'' it said.

UNI AG PR GC1310