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| India-Pakistan |
| Amnesty calls for 'impartial' and 'independent' investigation into Kulgam encounter |
| 2018-10-26 |
| [DAWN] Rights group On October 21, thousands of demonstrators, some hurling stones, marched on a village in Kulgam where Indian government forces were battling an unknown number of suspected Kashmiri fighters. Three suspects were rubbed out in the exchange but a subsequent kaboom at the scene killed five demonstrators. A sixth civilian injured in the kaboom later died at a hospital in Srinagar. Indian forces also fired shotgun pellets and tear gas at the protesters, leaving at least 30 injured. AII Executive Director Aakar Patel pointed out: "What transpired in the aftermath of the Kulgam encounter is unfortunate and could have been avoided had the authorities taken extra caution to ensure that civilians would have access to the area only after proper sanitisation of the encounter site was done." "In case of any direct or indirect violence between security forces and gangs, extra caution should be exercised to ensure that civilians in the area do not become collateral damage. Safety of the civilian population should be of paramount importance." |
| Posted by:Fred |