Army orders Court of Inquiry into Poonch civilian killings

The Indian Army has ordered a court of inquiry into the alleged custodial killing of three civilians who were among several picked by the soldiers after the ambush attack in Surankote Poonch which left four soldiers dead and three others injured.

Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir): The Army has ordered a Court of Inquiry (CoI) into the alleged custodial killing of three civilians following the ambush attack on two Army vehicles in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir which left at least four soldiers dead and three others injured, reports said on Monday. Sources said that changes at the command level are likely after the civilian killings.

The three civilians identified Safeer Hussain (43), Mohammad Showket (27) and Shabir Ahmad (32), all residents of Topa Peer village of Bufliaz in Poonch district were picked up by the Army on Friday Dec 22, a day after the ambush attack on the Army in Dera Ki Gali which left four soldiers dead. The three civilians were found dead under mysterious circumstances with the families accusing the soldiers of torturing them to death.

The Army on Saturday said it is “committed to extending full support and cooperation” in the conduct of investigation into the death of the three civilians. “Search operations by the Security Forces are continuing in the area of operations after the incident of 21 Dec 23. Reports have been received regarding three civilian deaths in the area. The matter is under investigation. Indian Army stands committed to extending full support and cooperation in the conduct of investigations,” a spokesman for the Indian Army said in a post on X.

• Terrorist Initiated Incident at Bafliaz in Poonch-Rajouri Sector (21/ 22 Dec 23).
  
  Search operations by the Security Forces are continuing in the area of operations after the incident of 21 Dec 23. Reports have been received regarding three civilian deaths in the area. The matter… pic.twitter.com/KLwtC2C2nm

  — ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) December 23, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  Terrorist Initiated Incident at Bafliaz in Poonch-Rajouri Sector (21/ 22 Dec 23).
  
  Search operations by the Security Forces are continuing in the area of operations after the incident of 21 Dec 23. Reports have been received regarding three civilian deaths in the area. The matter… pic.twitter.com/KLwtC2C2nm

  — ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) December 23, 2023

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  Terrorist Initiated Incident at Bafliaz in Poonch-Rajouri Sector (21/ 22 Dec 23).
  
  Search operations by the Security Forces are continuing in the area of operations after the incident of 21 Dec 23. Reports have been received regarding three civilian deaths in the area. The matter… pic.twitter.com/KLwtC2C2nm

  — ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) December 23, 2023

Following an uproar from the locals and the political parties, the J&K government on Saturday said it has initiated legal action into the incident and announced compensation for the families of the victims and jobs to the next of kin. On Dec 21, at least four soldiers were killed and three injured when heavily armed militants ambushed two Army vehicles at a blind curve at Dhatyar Morh between Dhera Ki Gali and Bufliaz.

The attack took place when Army soldiers were on way to an ongoing search operation in the general area of Dhera Ki Gali in the Thanamandi-Surankote region. The Army has launched a massive search operation in the densely forested areas after the attack.