Indian troops use civilians as human shields during CASOs in Kulgam
Srinagar: In yet another brazen violation of international humanitarian law, Indian troops used Kashmiri civilians as human shields during cordon and search operations in Kulgam district of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in a local villager being critically injured in a bear attack.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Mohammad Jahangir Malik, a resident of Khull village in Damhal Hanjipora area, is undergoing treatment at Soura Institute of Medical Sciences in Srinagar after suffering multiple injuries when he was forced by Indian army’s 9 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) and forces to enter a mountain cave during a cordon and search operation on May 13.
Jahangir Malik told Indian news portal The Wire that a team of army’s 9 Rashtriya Rifles (RR), accompanied by other Indian forces, laid a siege to his village, purportedly in the search of “militants”. During the operation, he, along with around ten other local youths, was detained and taken in an army vehicle to a mountainous area, where they were used as human shields while troops searched for alleged “militants”.
He said the troops split into smaller units, each taking a civilian along, and forced him to approach and inspect a dark cave by handing him a torch and a smartphone connected to a soldier through a video call. Despite warning the troops about the possibility of wild animals inside the cave, Malik said he was ordered to enter. “The soldier hurled abuses at me and ordered me to go in anyway,” he said, adding that the soldier himself kept a safe distance from the cave.
Moments after entering the cave, Malik was attacked by a wild bear, which severely mauled his face, head, and a leg. He sustained multiple injuries.
He was initially taken to a hospital in Kulgam and was later referred to Soura hospital, Srinagar, where he underwent emergency treatment and reconstructive surgery. Doctors at the hospital confirmed that his injuries were consistent with a bear attack, stating that his face and other body parts had suffered serious trauma.
The incident has once again exposed the Indian army’s continued use of Kashmiri civilians as human shields during military operations, a practice prohibited under international humanitarian law and classified as a war crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
Family members of the injured civilian said Indian troops had taken him from his home shortly after Fajr prayers, despite pleas from his family to free him. The detained youths did not file a complaint after the incident for fear of reprisals from the Indian army.
Rights observers said the incident reflects the persistent culture of impunity enjoyed by Indian forces’ personnel in IIOJK, where civilians continue to face grave risks, harassment, and violence under the guise of so-called security operations.
They urged international human rights organizations to take notice of the latest abuse and hold India accountable for its actions in the occupied territory.
