Caravan News
NEW DELHI — Rights group Amnesty International India (AII) on Wednessday called for authorities to conduct “effective, independent and impartial” investigations into the death of seven civilians in a blast at Kulgam district in South Kashmir on Sunday.
At least 25 others were injured in the incident. The organisation has further stated that those found responsible for the episode should be brought to justice.
Seven civilians were killed on Sunday when explosives left unused by three Jaish-e-Mohammed militants – gunned down in an encounter – blew up in Kashmir’s Kulgam district, reports PTI.
The incident took place at Laroo village in the district when security forces had launched a search-and-cordon operation following intelligence report about the presence of militants.
“In case of any direct or indirect violence between security forces and armed groups, extra caution should be exercised to ensure that civilians in the area do not become collateral damage. Safety of the civilian population should be of paramount importance,” PTI quoted Aakar Patel, Executive Director, Amnesty India as saying.
Authorities should conduct “effective, independent and impartial” investigations into the killings and bring those responsible to justice, he said.
“While we acknowledge that a case has been registered, we urge the authorities to ensure all those responsible for the incident are brought to justice for their failure to protect the human rights of the population of Jammu and Kashmir,” said Patel.