Four killed, 44 injured as mob attacks BSF camp

SRINAGAR/JAMMU/NEW DELHI: Four people were killed and 44 injured in stone-pelting and firing after a mob attacked a BSF camp in Ramban district on Wednesday morning over alleged high-handedness by a BSF team.

The injured include BSF personnel. The incident in the month of Ramazan has left the Centre and the state government worried as they apprehend that it may trigger a cycle of violence.

BSF said its personnel fired in self-defence showing “maximum restraint” when a mob indulged in firing and tried to storm its storehouse of arms and ammunition.

Inspector-General of BSF, Jammu Frontier, Rajeev Krishna told reporters that a picket of troops of 76 Battalion of BSF posted on Ramban district intercepted a man in suspicious circumstances at a check-point at Dursoo Nallah Bridge area on Tuesday night. As he was questioned, he refused to explain satisfactorily about his presence there and the BSF team let him off but informed the police.

Early Wednesday morning, as the police was probing the matter, a mob of around 800 attacked the BSF post with stones injuring one constable. Krishna said someone from the mob also fired, injuring a BSF jawan. Protesters stormed the camp, pelting stones and tried to force their way into an ammunition store.

“Keeping in view the threat to the arms and ammunitions, steps were taken with maximum restraint by the security forces”, the BSF IG said, adding four persons were killed. “BSF and police officials and officers were on the spot. It is difficult to say in whose firing casualities were caused”.

When asked whether there were militants in the mob, Krishna said, “it is a matter of investigation but one jawan was injured in firing from the mob”. Replying to a question about the allegation of local people that BSF had desecrated the Koran, the IG said, “BSF is a highly professional force. We respect every religion and religious books. BSF has been posted here for last several years and no allegation has come to us that any BSF personnel had indulged in any kind of such act in the past.”

Curfew was enforced in Bhaderwah, Gool, Ramban, Banihal and Sangaldan area of Jammu region. Violent protests saw two official vehicles and many ambulances set on fire in Ramban and Gool areas.