A civilian was killed when security forces allegedly fired at him in south Kashmir
The Kashmir Valley witnessed protests in Kulgam over the death of a man allegedly in firing by security forces during a counter-terror operation.
Assadullah Kumar, who worked in Jammu and Kashmir's Fisheries Department, was killed when security forces allegedly fired at him while chasing two suspected terrorists hiding in a house at Chansar village late Friday evening.
"He was killed when he was on duty. We received his body at 11:30 pm. There was nobody from his department or the police accompanying the body. We want justice," said a relative of Mr Kumar.
42-year-old Mr Kumar is the second civilian killed in south Kashmir in the last two days. On Thursday evening, a Congress party worker and a former Sarpanch Sajad Ahmad Malik was killed in a controversial encounter at Dooru in Anantnag district. The Congress claims it was a staged encounter and has demanded a judicial probe into the incident.
"It's a custodial killing and an organised political killing of Sajad Malik. It's getting authenticated the way government is not allowing us to visit his family for last two days," said GA Mir, President Jammu and Kashmir Congress Committee.
As the Valley is trying hard to leave behind near five month-long unrest, the killing of a government employee and a Congress worker in south Kashmir are grim reminders of the security risks and the fragile peace in the Valley.