Army led crackdown triggers clashes in Shopian, no arrests reported

Shah Imtiyaz                                                       
Srinagar/May,4: Government Forces Thursday launched a massive search operation in South Kashmir in wake of surge in militant related activities. Officials said that it was the first major anti-militant operation in last 27 years. Meanwhile army chief General Bipin Rawat has said that operation is a regular exercise that was carried out to control situation in restive parts of Kashmir. Hurriyat(M) has in a statement denounced “harsh” crackdown in Shopian villages.
Armed forces from 44 Rashtriya Rifles, Special Operation Group units from Kulgam and Shopian and 7 Battalions of Para military Central Reserve Police Force laid a siege around 7 major hamlets of South Kashmir’s Shopian district including Tarkwangam, Chitragam Kalan, Hefdora, Molchitragam and Trenz.
Locals said thousands of armed forces personnel not only cordoned off the multiple villages but they also laid a siege around the vast paddy fields and orchards. Sources said that the siege was laid at around 4 villages in the morning while after launching a combing operation in the vast paddy fields, government forces started house to house search operation.
Reports said that a large number of people from the villages under siege hit roads and amid pro-freedom slogans clashed with the armed forces. In order to disperse a massive protest march, government forces reportedly used pellets and tear-smoke shells. The agitated protesters resorted to massive stone-pelting. When protesters didn’t budge, government forces resorted to aerial firing creating panic in villages under siege. Reports also said that 8 CRPF and Policemen and 32 protesters were wounded in clashes at Turkwangam. The injured were shifted to District Hospital Shopian for treatment.
DIG South Kashmir SP Pani said search operation was launched to nab the hiding militants. “I can’t tell you whether we used helicopters or drones. It is a sensitive matter,” he said.
A police official denied the reports that helicopters hovered in the sky. He however said that drones were used to monitor the situation. “At some places where people assembled to stage protests and we dispersed them,” he said and claimed that at least 15 local militants from Hizbul Mujhadeen may be present in these villages.
“This major search operation had become inevitable in wake of recent militant attacks. To conduct the operation smoothly and peacefully, CRPF personnel from about 7 battalions were deployed in these villages,” the official said.
Meanwhile, local residents from Tarkawangum alleged that government forces let loose a reign of terror in the area. They alleged that Forces ransacked houses, damaged vehicles and bikes and thrashed people irrespective of their age. The allegations were however refuted by a police official.
Reports said that the operation was concluded after 12 hours. Police sources said that no arrests were made.
Meanwhile, the Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat while talking to reporters in New Delhi said that operation was launched in South Kashmir to bring the situation under control. “The combing operation is going on as some banks were looted and some policemen have been killed. It has been launched to ensure that the situation is brought under control. These operations are carried out regularly,” he said.
Here in Srinagar Hurriyat (M) in a statement issued here on Thursday strongly denounced the harsh crackdown and search operations of two dozen villages in Shopian by the government forces and police. Saying that use of helicopters for the first time was enough to show that it was war against civilian population, the statement said that thousands of people were subjected to unwarranted repression and harassment by restricting them to their homes.
Stressing that Indian government was writing a new black history of human rights violations in Kashmir, Hurriyat(M)  said that recent aggressive and anti Kashmir statements by the Indian politicians and military officials has led them to declare an open war against civilian Kashmiris without any moral compunctions .The aim of this military expedition against Kashmiris is to  muzzle all voices who speak for their basic  political right  Hurriyat (M) said adding, and to smother the ongoing freedom struggle by means of military might .
The Hurriyat(M) said the military operation against people in South Kashmir will add fuel to the fire since the situation was already explosive in that part of the state. It stated that such imprudent decisions will in no way help in solving the long pending Kashmir dispute.
Hurriyat (M) said that such military approach for the last thirty years has failed to defeat the desire for freedom in the people of Kashmir despite subjecting them to worst form of state brutalities and atrocities , nor will it deter them in future.This policy was and is a failure in its essence, the Hurriyat(M) said.