'Shopian under curfew; one killed youth LeT militant'

As strict curfew continued for the 15th day in Shopian town of south Kashmir to prevent violence over the killing of five youths by paramilitary forces, the Jammu and Kashmir Police have said one of the four people killed in firing at Gagran village on September 7 was Abdullah Haroom, a foreign militant belonging to the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

Srinagar: As strict curfew continued for the 15th day in Shopian town of south Kashmir to prevent violence over the killing of five youths by paramilitary forces, the Jammu and Kashmir Police have said one of the four people killed in firing at Gagran village on September 7 was Abdullah Haroom, a foreign militant belonging to the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

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Police said the youth was identified by another LeT militant, Fahadullah, who was arrested several months ago.

However, the forensic report of tests conducted on mobile phone and SIM card of the youth is yet to come. Meanwhile, the government probe into the killing of youths in Shopian, especially the non-local, who, many believed was a Bihari labouerer, is still on.

"Four youths riding two motorcycles were passing by the Gagran CRPF camp at Shopian. The first motorcycle was stopped and then another motorcycle arrived. One person took out a pistol and fired. In the retaliatory firing, four people were killed," Kashmir inspector general of police Abdul Ghani Mir told the media on Friday.

"We are investigating that under what circumstances these people were accompanying the Lashkar militant. At least two of them, Tariq and Yousuf, let me tell you, were not on an excursion with the LeT militant," he added.

Another civilian was killed at the same place in firing, allegedly by the CRPF on September 11.

Of the five killed in the two incidents, four, according to a previous statement by police, had no militancy record.

Meanwhile, police said late afternoon relaxations have been given in the curfew over the past couple of days to help people stock up daily necessities.

On Friday, police and paramilitary personnel fired pellets and lobbed teargas shells to disperse marchers trying to move towards the town from the capital, Srinagar. Senior separatist leader Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, who had called for the march, was put under house arrest.

Mir said the process of shifting the CRPF personnel from the Gagran camp has begun. This was ordered by the state cabinet, headed by chief minister Omar Abdullah.

The union home minister, Sushilkumar Shinde, has also ordered a detailed inquiry into the killings. However, separatists have dismissed the inquiries as eyewash.

Meanwhile, five people have deposed before the one-man panel inquiring the incident. Shopian district magistrate Bashir Ahmad Bhat had asked the witnesses to depose before him and provide information, if any.

Although none turned up for the first three days since Monday, five witnesses provided information on Thursday. However, Bhat refused to divulge the details.