September 25, 2016 22:28:39 | Muhammad Suhail

At least 13 horses were killed and three others were injured after army men allegedly rammed their vehicle repeatedly into the live stock of nomads in Frisal village of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district.

The nomads, called Bakerwals in local parlance, also alleged that they were thrashed ruthlessly by the army men. They were travelling from Pahalgam to Rajouri in Chenab valley.

Bakerwals traditionally travel to meadows in south Kashmir from the Chenab valley region with their livestock for summer and return at the onset of autumn.

“We were coming from Pahalgam and reached Frisal at about 2:30 AM when they were intercepted by army men onboard a Casper vehicle,” said Abdul Wahid, one of the Bakerwals.

He said the army men questioned them and first let them go but only till Damidola crossing in Frisal where they rammed their Casper into the horses, which were walking lined in two rows on both sides of the road.

“First we thought it was an accident when the vehicle rammed into horses on the left side of the road. But then they reversed their vehicle and did that again, this time on the right of the road,” said another member of the group, Muhammad Aslam.

He said that the army men repeated the act at least thrice before they disembarked the vehicle and thrashed the men.

“After beating some of us they boarded the vehicle again and fled the scene, leaving at least 13 horses dead and 3 of them severely injured,” Aslam said.

Police, taking cognizance of the complaint by Bakerwals, have lodged an FIR-number 109/ 2016 under section 297 of the RPC- against an “unidentified” army vehicle.

“The matter is being investigated,” a senior police official told Rising Kashmir.

Army however has denied that their men were involved in any such incident.

“I have inquired about it and I am told nothing of this sort has happened with army men involved in it,” Srinagar based spokesperson of the army, Rajesh Kalia told Rising Kashmir.