Army Has Zero Tolerance Towards Violence Against Civilians: Sources

Stern action will be taken in the death of three civilians after video surfaced of their detention by troops in Jammu and Kashmir, sources said, adding that the Indian Army has zero tolerance for violence against innocent civilians.

The Army ordered a probe after the civilians were reported dead following their detention in connection with a terror attack. The probe is also looking at the overall conduct of the operations against terrorists in the region where nine officers and soldiers of the army have been killed in action in a month.

Stern action will be taken against all those involved in violence on innocent civlians, the sources told NDTV. "The officers-in-command may be asked to stand down until the inquiry is over," they added.

Three civilians - Mohammad Safeer, Shabir Ahmad, and Showkat Hussain - were found dead after they were detained for questioning along with over a dozen other villagers from Bafliaz area on Friday.

A purported video showing troops beating and torturing civilians had gone viral, but the authenticity of the video has not been established even as families allege that the dead were among those being tortured in the military station.

Around a dozen injured villagers have been hospitalised with their families and political parties alleging custodial torture.

Four soldiers were killed in action in an encounter with terrorists on Thursday after two army vehicles were fired upon in Rajouri. The bodies of the soldiers killed in action were flown out this morning.

Amry chief Manoj Pande is likely to visit the Rajouri sector today to review the ongoing counterterrorist operations.

In the past seven months, more than 20 soldiers including officers and Special Forces commandos were killed in terror attacks in the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri. Except one encounter at Kalakote last month, attackers managed to escape in all other incidents.