Key hospitals in occupied Kashmir treat more than 150 tear gas, pellet injuries

Published August 23, 2019
An Indian security personnel stands guard on a deserted road in Srinagar in occupied Kashmir on August 23. — Reuters
An Indian security personnel stands guard on a deserted road in Srinagar in occupied Kashmir on August 23. — Reuters

At least 152 people have suffered injuries from tear gas and pellets in occupied Kashmir since Indian security forces this month launched a sweeping crackdown, data from the disputed region's two main hospitals shows.

Indian authorities have deployed additional paramilitary police, banned public gatherings and cut cellular and internet links to prevent large scale protests after New Delhi's controversial decision to withdraw occupied Kashmir's special status.

Still, people especially youth, have come out in the lanes of the disputed region's key city of Srinagar, on occasions such as Friday prayers or Eidul Azha this month, throwing stones, prompting retaliatory action by security forces.

Data obtained by Reuters showed 152 people reported to Srinagar's Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences and Shri Maharaj Hari Singh with injuries from pellet shots and tear gas fire between August 5 and August 21.

The government, which has not yet provided any figures of the injured in the sporadic protests, has said there have been no deaths in this month's demonstrations in a region where more than 50,000 have died since an armed revolt broke out in 1989.

A local government official in occupied Kashmir, however, said the number of injured was probably higher than the figures from the two hospitals.

Many of those who were discharged within hours do not feature in their list, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, while others, with wounds treated at smaller hospitals, remain unaccounted for.

Opinion

Editorial

IHK resolution
Updated 08 Nov, 2024

IHK resolution

If the BJP administration were to listen to Kashmiris, it could pave the way for the resumption of the political process in IHK.
Climate realities
08 Nov, 2024

Climate realities

THE Air Quality Index in Lahore once again shot past the 1,000-level mark on Wednesday morning, registering at an...
Rule by fear
08 Nov, 2024

Rule by fear

THE abduction of an opposition MNA, as claimed by PTI, is yet another grim episode in Pakistan’s ongoing crisis of...
Trump 2.0
Updated 07 Nov, 2024

Trump 2.0

It remains to be seen how his promises to bring ‘peace’ to Middle East reconcile with his blatantly pro-Israel bias.
Fait accompli
07 Nov, 2024

Fait accompli

A SLEW of secretively conceived and hastily enacted legislation has achieved its intended result: the powers of the...
IPP contracts
07 Nov, 2024

IPP contracts

THE government expects the ongoing ‘negotiations’ with power producers aimed at revising the terms of sovereign...