Firing to disperse or kill? Greater Kashmir

Bullets Hit Protestors’ Chest, Head, Abdomen, Heart

NASEER A GANAI

Srinagar, Aug 13: Doctors in different hospitals say causalities due to bullet injuries were higher as bullets have been fired at upper parts of the body including chest, heart and head. They say the troops and police resorted to target killing of protestors.
“Yesterday, we operated upon a number of persons having received bullet injuries. We also operated upon 15 seriously wounded, among them several died. I tell you most people have been shot at from very close range and above the waist causing maximum causalities,” said a consultant at SMHS Hospital.
“I can understand what would have happened outside. Inside the hospital, in the causality ward police fired teargas shells,” said Dr Idrees. Six persons who were brought dead to the hospital including Imtiyaz Ahmad Bhat of Lasjan, Imran Qayoom Wani of Baghi Mehtab, Qamran Mehboob, Faisal Showkat and others had been shot at upper parts including neck and chest.
Reports said 29 people have been killed in past two days. Doctors describe the shooting above waist as “target killing.” Bullet injuries in chest, neck and head could not be described as firing in self-defence, said a doctor working in Soura Medical Institute. He said most of the people who were in critical condition have been hit at neck, chest and head. He said a person brought from Bemina this morning had been hit in head.
A senior official of the Medical Institute Soura said 50 persons who have received bullets have undergone major surgeries in past two days. The official said most of the patients who have been operated upon were in critical condition. “This is grim situation. I should tell you frankly that half of the people who have gone through major surgeries are in extremely critical condition. Some are on ventilators. We should pray for their survival,” said a doctor working in the Institute.
Doctors in valley hospitals have cancelled their leaves and are in hospitals for past four days continuously looking after the injured. Eight persons have died in past two days in the Medical Institute. “Among the eight, some were brought dead and some died after operation,” officials said.
Doctors said had troops and police fired below the waist the causalities would have been far less. “In that case it causes less damage than target killing,” doctors say.
Rouf Majeed, presently admitted in the SMHS hospital, has been shot in his shoulder. Doctors looking after him said that he has been shot with pistol. “I was in a protest when army’s JAKLI troops fired at us. I received a bullet and I was brought to hospital by people,” he said. He said three other persons have received serious injuries in their chest and head and they have been shifted to SKIMS.
Nazir Ahmad of Sumbal had received a bullet in the abdomen. Apart from bullets, tear gas shells have been fired directly at people. Rouf Majeed admitted in the SMHS has been hit at chest with a tear gas shell. “Had it been hit at heart, it would have been fatal,” doctors attending him said. Another person, Gowhar Bhat of Dalgate, admitted in the SMHS, has been hit at private parts with tear gas shell.