SRINAGAR: The army has killed two civilians in Sumbal town, north of the Kashmir capital Srinagar.
Initial reports quoting local residents say the soldiers of the counter-insurgency Rashtriya Rifles were on a patrol in Markundal village late last night.
The villagers, not realising that they were soldiers, raised an alarm.
This led to the soldiers firing at an 18-year-old youth, Irfan Ahmed Ganaie, who died on the spot.
Ghulam nabi Ganaie, father of the slain youth told FreePress that his son was standing outside the cowshed thinking cattle lifters had sneaked into the village.
“They hit him with a baton and then fired two bullets at him, one in the head and the other in his left arm.”
On Sunday morning the troops fired at a group of angry protesters killing another youth Irshad Ahmed Dar, aged above 25.
The army’s version of the incident is not immediately available.
Reports say at least two people have also been wounded in the firing on protesters.
A journalist in the area told FreePress that the army has blocked points of ingress into the area. He said there is also heavy deployment of police and paramilitaries.
There were massive protests going on in the area with residents chanting slogans against the Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and the army.
Senior separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani telephonically addressed thousands of mourners gathered at the Eidgah.
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