PHOTO: NISSAR AHMAD

A FATHER'S GRIEF: This man's daughter was among the victims in Kupwara on Saturday.

KUPWARA: The Army on Saturday mistakenly killed three civilians in two separate incidents in Kupwara district triggering a blockade of the Srinagar-Kupwara highway for hours. A murder case has been registered.

Witnesses told The Hindu that Ghulam Mohiuddin Tantray (48) and Rubina (14) left their Chahalpati home near Dragmulla in Kupwara to fetch firewood from the nearby jungle. As the group of 13 villagers was moving towards the jungle an ambush party of 33 Rashtriya Rifles led by Captain S. Srivastav opened fire. "The two died on the spot," said a relative. Rubina's brother Abdul Wahid who was supposed to be part of the group said: "I was woken up at 5.20 a.m. by my mother but it took me a few minutes to prepare to go to the jungle. Soon I was told that my sister was dead." Saja, who was by the side of Rubina, said: "I heard gunshots and saw Rubina in a pool of blood."

As the news of the shooting spread in the town hundreds took to the streets shouting anti-Army slogans. The district authorities reached the spot and promised to take action against the guilty.

The Kupwara highway remained blocked for hours, before the villagers agreed to bury the dead.

Army regrets killings

The Army called it a case of mistaken identity. "The troops laid an ambush in the forest area following specific information about the movement of militants. At 3.30 a.m. the troops noticed movement of two persons with something that looked like a weapon," said defence spokesman Col. Hemant Juneja. The duo were challenged but started running away, following which the troops opened fire, killing them on the spot. At first light, search of the area was carried out and bodies of a man and a woman were recovered along with an axe, which might have been on the shoulder of the man giving the impression of a weapon to the troops, Col. Juneja said.

"The Army regrets the killings and adequate compensation would be given to the families of the deceased," he said.

Civilian killed

In another incident, a civilian was killed by a stray bullet in Bugam village in the same district.

Protest demonstrations were reported from the area and a case registered by the police.

A general strike called by traders' bodies to protest against `increasing human rights violations' affected normal life in Srinagar and other major towns.

The call was supported by separatist organisations.

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