ISLAMABAD: Indian troops continue to target Kashmiri youth in fake encounters in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), perpetuating a grim cycle of violence.
According to a report released by the Kashmir Media Service on Thursday, five more Kashmiri youth were killed in a staged encounter in the Kulgam district.
The report highlighted that Indian forces regularly abduct and kill Kashmiri youth under the guise of encounters, with the recent Kulgam incident further exposing the culture of impunity under which Indian troops operate in the region.
Extrajudicial killings have reportedly become routine in IIOJK, with 7,369 Kashmiris killed in custody or staged encounters since January 1989. The report also alleged that such actions are motivated by promotions and rewards granted to the perpetrators within the Indian armed forces.
Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, the report described IIOJK as a “killing field,” where the lives of young Kashmiris are targeted as part of a broader fascist policy. Despite these actions, it emphasized that the resolve and will of the Kashmiri people cannot be crushed through extrajudicial killings and human rights violations.
The report called upon the international community to take urgent notice of the increasing number of fake encounters and to intervene to stop the ongoing massacre of Kashmiris in IIOJK.