Srinagar: Two civilians have died, including a truck driver who was killed in firing by the army in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, officials said on Thursday (6 February). The killings have taken place days after the death of an army soldier in suspected militant attack.
A senior police officer said that the truck, registered in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, was fired upon near a car showroom in Sangrama locality on Srinagar-Baramulla highway on Wednesday evening.
Sources said that at least nine shots were fired, resulting in injuries to the driver. Both the front tyres of the truck were deflated.
The victim, identified as Waseem Ahmad Malla, was a resident of Goripora village in Sopore. He suffered grievous injuries and was taken to a government medical college in Baramulla where doctors declared him dead.
Also read: Mass Detentions Across Kashmir After Ex-Army Soldier Killed in Kulgam
In a statement, the army said that a checkpoint was set up by security forces “on a very specific intelligence input about movement of terrorists”.
“One speeding suspicious civil truck was spotted. When challenged, the truck didn’t stop despite repeated warnings instead accelerated further while crossing the check post. Alert troops pursued the vehicle for over 23 km. Shots were fired aiming at tyres to deflate which forced vehicle to halt at Sangrama Chowk. Consequent to detailed search, the injured driver was immediately evacuated to GMC Baramulla by Security Forces where he was declared dead.”
The army said that the truck was taken to police station, “Detailed search of the truck in police custody is underway and investigation on antecedents of the suspect is in progress.”
In another incident, a youngster from Kathua district of Jammu, who was reportedly picked up by police in connection for questioning in connection with a militancy case, died in police custody.
Former J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti said that the victim identified as Makhan Din, 25, a resident of Perody in Billawar tehsil of Kathua district, was killed in custody.
Shocking news from Kathua: Makhan Din, aged 25 from Perody, Billawar, was detained by the SHO of Billawar on false charges of being an Over Ground Worker (OGW). He was reportedly subjected to brutal thrashing and torture, forced into a confession, and tragically found dead today.…
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) February 6, 2025
The two incidents of civilian deaths took place days after Manzoor Ahmad Wagay, a former army soldier, was gunned down by suspected militants in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district, following which at least 500 people were detained by J&K Police.
On January 20, an army soldier was critically injured in a firefight in north Kashmir when security forces acting on specific inputs about a suspected militant hideout in Gujjarpati area of Zaloora came under fire from. militants.
The victim, Sepoy Pangala Kartheek, later succumbed to injuries at a military hospital in Srinagar while the operation was called off.