Shrinagar:
Two civilians were killed and three injured when CRPF opened fire at demonstrators protesting the killing of a suspected militant in an encounter, in Sopore town of north Kashmir this, on Friday. The victims were identified as 15-year-old Shakeel Ahmad Ganai and Firdous Ahmad.
Police said that the trouble started when locals took out a procession and pelted stones at the CRPF vehicles, while jawans were returning after a day-long gun battle with militants hold up in the Bagh-i-islam Krankshivan locality, 55 km from Srinagar.
The locals claimed, one of the two persons killed in the encounter was a civilian. Police said that a section of the mob pelted stones at CRPF vehicles, after which the paramilitary personnel opened fire, resulting in injuries to five persons.
CRPF spokesman Prabhakar Tripathy said, "Paramilitary forces opened fire when the mob set on fire a vehicle of the force during the demonstration."
The locals refuted the claims and charged the CRPF in turn, of killing an innocent man. They claimed that it was only when the CRPF opened fire, that the CRPF vehicle, was set ablaze.