SRINAGAR: The six-day long crackdown in eight villages of Bandipore 60 km from here ended on Tuesday. The villagers say it was a nightmare. The troops indulged in killings and abused women they alleged. The government has denied large-scale killings and claimed that only an Army officer and a militant were killed and a body found..

The authorities Friday admitted some more casualties. The state police chief J.N.Saksena said that eight villagers and eight militants were killed. He added that five villagers were killed in crossfire one was killed by the militants and one died after a heart-attack A decomposed body was also found during the operations he said.

The eight villages are situated on the left of the Sopore-Bandipore road. They are flanked by Asia’s largest lake the: Wular on the right and thickly-wooded mountains touching the Machhal sector on the left.

The villagers’ account differs from that of the authorities The crackdown began early in the morning on Sept.12. People from Ashtengu village were confined to a place up the hill while the troops searched their houses they said.

In the evening they spotted the body of an elderly person Mohammad Abdullah Sofi in the woods. He along with many others had fled towards the forest. Sofi was apparently hit by a mortar shell and the body was badly burnt.

WIFE’S DENIAL: Gaffar Sheikh of the same village was trying to escape when the troops reportedly captured him. Next day he was brought home taken into a shop and allegedly “trampled to death” before his family. His wife had denied that he was a militant.

People in Kehnsu village were also brought out of their houses as in the search operations began said the villagers. Fifty persons were picked up for interrogation. Among them was Showkat Ahmed who had been selected for admission to an MBBS course in Bihar. Later the troops allegedly returned his body to the family. The body carried no bullet injury and the villagers say he was tortured to death.

Another victim of alleged torture was Shakil Ahmed Jaan in Aloosa village

Thus three men Sheikh Ahmed and Jaan were said to have been tortured to death Those who claimed to have survived the torture said they were severely beaten up given electric shocks and had their nostrils stuffed with chilly powder

Five men from Aloosa Nisar Ahmed Khan Raja and Kalu (both Guijjars) Merajuddin and Sirajuddin were allegedly shot by troops while fleeing.

Eleven people have been buried in three villages. They include a woman who the villagers confirmed died after a heart-attack. An unidentified person believed to have been a militant was also buried at Kehnsu.

Three more civilian casualties have been reported from Kuil Malangam and Potshai villages. The villagers believe that many more bodies are lying in the woods since over 50 people are still missing. The director-general of police Saksena says that 28 people are in custody of which 25 are militants

A trader Fateh Mohammad Lone 55 told visiting journalists “We told the officers that a foul smell was coming from the woods. The elders have gone to meet the officers again. If they allow us we will go and bring the bodies.” The Army has reportedly set up pickets in the forests.

SEARCH WOODS: The director-general said Thursday that he had asked the Army authorities to allow the villagers to go into the woods and search for the bodies.

According to reports some militants hiding near a water reservoir one kilometer uphill from Aloosa village clashed with the troops. Seven of them were reportedly killed and two arrested; four managed to escape. The villagers say they heard the shots but had no idea of the casualties.

They alleged that the jawans while beating them were screaming that a captain and four soldiers had been killed by the militants. However Saksena denied any army men was killed during the operations.

The villagers also charged that the troops had raped or molested 13 women said Ghulam Hassan of Acosa village “For the first two days we kept a few men with the women at the (makeshift) camp to ensure against any sort of assault by the Jawans. But on the third day the Army disallowed the presence of men. At about 1 p.m. that day the Jawans asked some of the women to accompany them to their houses for a search. But instead of searching the houses the Jawans subjected the women to sexual abuse.

When asked whether the women been medically examined Hussan said “How could we do that? We were under siege for one week”. He said the police had been informed in writing but was not sure whether they had registered a case.

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