While thousands of people are getting injured with the use of pellet guns during the recent crisis in Kashmir, more than two thousand security personnel too have been suffering injuries while controlling the protesters. What is getting the most difficult for the police and army to tackle the stone-throwing protesters is the use of acid bottles, which has become the new weapon for the attackers.
According to a report by TNN, on the matter of using the pellet guns or pump action guns an officer said that these weapons are only used in an extreme situation when a mob of 500-1000 people attack 30-40 officers and try to loot the arms or damage the bunkers/vehicles. Not only that, several hundred jawans have already been injured severely and the officers have to take care of the injured jawans and remain alert all the time, even after working for 14-15 hours a day. So they have to take actions for the fear of being killed by the mob, the officer said.
In last two weeks since street violence erupted after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, security personnel faced more than 600 attacks in the valley. In about 15 such incidents, protestors attacked police stations/ posts, camps and bunkers of forces and even looted arms. Some of the places damaged include Damhal Pora police station (from where about 70 weapons were also looted), Achabal police station in Anantnag, tehsil office at Kokernag, Range office in DH Pora, court complex in DH Pora, Narbal police station, GRP guard room and RPF barracks in Brijbehera, Damhal police post in Koshipora, a bulletproof bunker of CRPF, police post at fruit mandi Sopore and a police post in Srinagar.
“There was complete lawlessness,” said an officer. As violence has abated, forces are maintaining “maximum restraint” as per the orders, said a senior government official, reported TNN.
Sourced from TNN, Featred image courtesy: AP
