Three civilians, including a 16-year-old girl, were killed on Saturday when security forces allegedly opened fire at stone-pelters during a cordon and search operation in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said.

The incident took place in Hawoora Mishipora village in Qoimoh area of Kulgam in South Kashmir.

According to reports, a mob resorted to stone-pelting in a bid to disrupt an anti-terror operation by security forces who had cordoned off the area following inputs that a group of militants was hiding in Kulgam, some 70 km from south of Srinagar.

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The clash with the security forces left ten civilians injured who were immediately rushed to the Primary Health Centre (PHC) at Frisal where doctors declared three of them dead on arrival.

The deceased are Andleeb (16), Shakir Ahmad (22) and Irshad Ahmad (20).

Senior officers from the police, the Army and paramilitary forces have rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation.

Governor NN Vohra has convened a high-level meeting to review the situation and sought report about the civilian deaths from the Army and police.

As news about the death of the three youth spread, protestors in certain other parts of the valley blocked roads and pelted stones at the security forces that were already deployed in strength in view of the two days shutdown call given by separatists.

Separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq condemned the killing of the three youth.

Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami (CPI-M), who is MLA of Kulgam, in a statement said that since imposition of the Governor’s Rule on 20 June, violence was on decline and civilian killings also decreased. But the latest incident is a big shock and setback to any effort to restore peace in the Valley.

Shutdown call

Tension had been simmering in the valley amidst the shutdown call given today by the separatist leaders against arrest of the pro-Pakistan Asia Andrabi by the NIA and also in view of the second death anniversary of a local terrorist Burhan Wani who was killed in an encounter with security forces on 8 July 2016.

The authorities have snapped mobile internet services in the four districts of Kulgam, Anantnag, Shopian and Pulwama in South Kashmir.