By Afshain Afzal

The official statement coming from Colonel S.D. Goswami at Headquarters Army’s Northern Command, Udhampur claimed that “Four militants, who had entered the rear base camp of an infantry battalion in Uri town around 5:30 am on 18 September 2016, were killed and search operation was continuing inside the camp”. Interestingly the Police official deputed in the area claimed that they the heard explosions inside Army’s Uri Brigade Headquarters at Baramulla which were silenced at 6:00 am. Three helicopters from 19 Divisional Headquarters, Baramulla were immediately given clearance by Northern Command, Udhampur and were seen by the witnesses landing inside the base, airlifting injured and dead. Indian Army’s Base Hospital, Srinagar confirmed evacuated injured troops from Uri receiving emergency treatment at the hospital. It has been confirmed that at least 17 troops have been killed and dozens injured in the incident. Early morning, Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the Uri attack.

According to an eyewitness, who disclosed on the condition of anonymity, I saw a building caught fire and smoke coming from there, simultaneously there were blasts of explosives.” He added, Yahan Per Gola Barood Rakkha Jata Tha”. An injured soldier at Base Hospital, Srinagar disclosed that on hearing explosions, his senior Non Commissioned Officer order to open fire indiscriminately. It is pertinent to mention here that the makeshift temporary shelters were used by the Brigade troops for storage of ammunition and explosive. Being a rear headquarters, the strength of the troops was very thin as only those proceeding on leave or returning from leave used to temporarily stay here at the camp. Although, there has been no report of firing or explosion since 6:00 am, it took two hours for the Brigade Commander to pass all OK Report” for the information of Indian Army Chief Dalbir Singh Suhag at 0800 hours, sharing success story that causalities have been evacuated and area cleared. An inquiry has been ordered to investigate cause of the fire in the building while Director General Military Operations, Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval rushed to Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s residence in New Delhi to prepare briefing for the media in the evening.

Not far from the place of incident, an eleven years old 7^th class Kashmiri student of Green Light Higher Secondary School Ishbar, namely Nasir Shafi Qazi alias Momin, who was returning home after performing Jumma prayers at Darul-Uloom Qounsaria, was chased and beaten to death by Indian occupying forces on 16 September 2016. The father of unfortunate Kashmiri boy, Muhammad Shafi Qazi and his family members disclosed that dead body was recovered late night from Sarbandh reservoir near the stream, which had on its back hundreds of pellets’ marks and his right arm and elbow were also broken. Family members decided to keep his body in a nearby Government School premises at New Theed to show the world about brutalities carried out by Indian occupying forces in held Jammu and Kashmir state. Although Police has lodged FIR number 83/2016 at police station Harwan but the FIR is mere formality as names of Indian security forces are not mentioned on the grounds that Police are ascertaining the cause of his death from all angles. It is pertinent to mention there were mass protests all over Jammu and Kashmir state, in which each Friday tens and thousands of Kashmiris carry out peaceful protest demonstrations. It is on record that in a little over two months, Indian occupying forces have killed 108 Kashmiris and injured some 12,947.

Despite the Uri incident, about which it is too early to comment if it was an accidental fire at explosive dump or it was planned move of Indian Army to diffuse the out of control situation in Jammu and Kashmir state, thousands of Kashmiri defied restrictions and marched towards Eidgah in Bandipora district to show the real face of India. Although Indian security forces have sealed all entry and exit points leading towards Bandipora district to thwart “Bandipora Chalo” call to Kashmiris across the state, unarmed Kashmiris are moving towards Bandipora and chanting pro-independence and anti-India slogans.

If we recall, Indian Army Chief visited USA from 5^th to 8^th April 2016 to brief on Indian home grown insurgencies, especially in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir state. He also visited United Nations Headquarter and met Secretary General Ban Ki Moon to share CIA-India joint self-engineered inputs against Pakistan and Kashmiris. Once again, India Chief of Army Staff General Dalbir Singh Suhag, Corps Commander, Lieutenant General Satish Dua, Lieutenant General DS Hooda, GOC-in-C Northern Command and agencies have prepared a propaganda campaign against innocent Kashmiris to internationally defame them and prevent them from exercising their right of self-determination. One wonders how long the so called civilized responsible countries and International Organizations like UNO would keep their conscience mortgaged in order to protest their self-interest and let the Kashmiris die unnoticed. Honourable Secretary General Ban Ki Moon must come out of the plot of pressures groups’ politics and take decision on the basis of genocide and grave violation of Human Rights in occupied Jammu and Kashmir state. afshainafzal@yahoo.com