19 Kashmiris martyred in occupied Kashmir in January 2020

MIRPUR (AJK), Jan 31 (APP): In occupied Jammu & Kashmir, the number of martyred Kashmiris by occupying Indian forces during January 2020 rose to 19 till Friday – Jan 31, says a report reaching here Friday evening from across the Line of Control.

Last year, the occupying forces rounded up a total of 662 people and threw them behind the bars under Public Safety Act, the report said.

Since August 2019, the Indian government has imposed the draconian and infamous law – the Public Safety Act, on 412 people and locked them in prisons outside occupied Jammu Kashmir.

The report continued that 19 Kashmiris were martyred in various operations in January 2020 in occupied Kashmir. One of which included a 15-year-old boy, Nazirbhi, who was crushed by a JK police bus.

In operations by the occupying Indian Army, paramilitary forces and policemen, 11 people were injured in firing, pellet guns and tear gas on protesters.

During this period Indian forces rounded up at least 111 people, including mostly the teenagers. The arrests were made during the ongoing 106 search operations in different areas.

These districts of occupied Kashmir in January were Srinagar, Kupwara, Hindora, Rafi Abad, Pattan, Chadora, Kangan, Terala, Awantipura, Seed Bahara, Shopadia, Sargodia, Kupwara and Kulwaja.

Indian forces destroyed six buildings in the operations – which also included residential houses.

Sixteen Indian security personnel were killed and 15 injured in separate incidents of operations and avalanches.

Those killed also included the Indian army porters.

Two security personnel were shot dead by their own colleagues while two others were killed, the report said.

The report revealed that those martyred in encounters included local members of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen and Jaish-Muhammad.

There were 1996 reported cases of stone pelting in 2019, according to the report.