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Two persons were killed and two others were critically wounded when army soldiers allegedly opened fire at a passing car after it failed to halt at a checkpost in central Kashmir’s Budgam district on Monday evening.
A senior police officer said that army personnel had signalled the car to stop at the check point near Chattergam village on the outskirts of summer capital Srinagar.
The troops, he said opened fire at the car critically injuring all its four occupants.
“The injured were evacuated to an army base hospital where two of them succumbed to their injuries. The condition of the two was still critical,” added the officer.
Tensions ran high in the area after the incident.
A defence spokesman in a statement later in the evening said, “Based on the specific intelligence reports about the movement of terrorists in a white Maruti car on November 3 along Nowgam to Pulwama road, three mobile vehicle check posts (MVCP) were established along the road. At approximately, 5 pm, a white Maruti car approached the first check point where the personnel tried to stop the car but it did not stop.”
The spokesman added that the car was once again asked to stop at the second check point but it failed to do so. “Then at the third check post, the vehicle tried to go through, which resulted in the firing. The injured were rushed to the Army BaseHospital, Srinagar where two of them succumbed to their injuries while the other two are under treatment.”
The spokesman further added, “The army regrets the loss of lives,” and that an enquiry would be set up to investigate the matter and that if anyone was found guilty, they would be dealt with severely.
The incident came days after the Election Commission announced a five-phase poll schedule for the state assembly beginning November 25.
Gearing for the polls, elaborate security arrangements are being made.
Various political parties have begun their campaigning in various assembly segments.