Shopian firing: Responded to 'ultimate provocation', says Army

Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General Devraj Anbu on Wednesday said that the army opened fire into a crowd in Shopian in the face of the "ultimate provocation" by a stone-pelting crowd.

Calling the FIR against the army, which is registered by the Jammu and Kashmir Police as "unfortunate", Lt. Gen Anbu called it said that there should have been generic FIR in the matter.

"That is an unfortunate thing, in such a case a generic FIR should have been filed. I think they have prematurely put the name of an individual, I am sure when they investigate truth will come out. Notwithstanding what the state government did, we had our own inquiry and are clear that we responded when we were provoked to the ultimate," he added.

Two civilians were killed and nine others injured after the army opened fire on protesters in Ganowpora village of south Kashmir's Shopian district on Saturday.

The army opened fire after it came under heavy stone pelting from a mob in the village.

Following the outrage over civilian killings, the state police registered case against the army while the divisional administration ordered a magisterial probe into the incident.

--ANI