J&K: Army Officials Meet Families Of Civilians Killed In Poonch, Assure Strict Action

Senior Indian Army officials on Tuesday (26 December) met with the families of three civilians who were found dead a few hours after they were allegedly picked up by security forces for questioning into the terror attack on two Army vehicles in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district last week.

Assuring the families the security forces were with them, they also informed them that an inquiry had already been initiated and some officers have been removed from their posts.

The three civilians were among the eight people who were allegedly picked after four Army soldiers were killed in a terror ambush in Poonch last Thursday.

Three civilians died allegedly during questioning, and five were admitted to the Government Medical College Hospital in Rajouri last Saturday.

This comes as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is on a visit to Jammu and Rajouri today, where he is expected to meet the families of three dead civilians.

The family members of the victims will reportedly be brought to Rajouri from the adjoining Poonch district’s Topa Pir village near Buffliaz for the meeting.

Singh is visiting Jammu and Kashmir for the first time after the killing of five Army soldiers, including two Captains, during an encounter between terrorists and security forces in Rajouri’s Kandi area last month.

Senior Army officers are expected to brief the defence minister about the ground situation in the districts of Rajouri and Poonch.

Later in the day, he is likely to review the situation along the borders and also hinterland in the Union Territory before returning to Delhi.