Srinagar, Jan 27: Army on Saturday said that it was “constrained” to open fire in Shopian in which two civilians were killed and several others sustained injuries.
An army spokesman said that On Jan 27 at about 1500 hours, an army administrative convoy was passing through Ganaupura Chowk in Shopian when it came under “unprovoked and intense stone pelting” by a group of 100-120 stone pelters.
“Within no time, their numbers swelled to 200-250 persons. The crowd surrounded an isolated portion of the convoy consisting of four vehicles. They caused extensive damage to these vehicles and tried to set them on fire. A junior commissioned officer accompanying the convoy got hit on the head and fell unconscious suffering serious injury,” he said, adding, “The mob tried to lynch the individual and snatch his weapon. The violent crowd further closed in towards the vehicles and attempted to set them on fire.”
Considering the “extreme gravity” of the situation, he said: “The army was constrained to open fire in self defense to prevent lynching of the JCO and burning of Government vehicle by the mob. A total of seven army men suffered injuries and extensive damage was caused to eleven vehicles. In the process two civilians succumbed to the bullet injuries.”