Civilians critical in Kulgam firing recovering, says doctors

Srinagar Apr 13: The two civilians critically injured in the Khudwani encounter on Wednesday are “stable” and “doing well” hospital authorities said on Friday.
Adil Ahmad, a youth from Anantnag district critically injured during the encounter who is admitted at the SK Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura is “better” now, MS SKIMS, Dr Farooq Jan told The Kashmir Monitor.
Adil, Dr Jan said, had “shell injuries in head” and was operated upon at the hospital.
“He is doing well. There were a few other injured (admitted at the institute), but they are all ok,” he added.
At the SICU of the SMHS hospital in Karan Nagar, the close family members and relatives of Abdul Salam, who also was critically injured near the encounter site, too are heaving a sigh of relief as Bhat has shown signs of improvement since Thursday afternoon.
“He is better today than yesterday, he was better yesterday than he was a day before,” Mohammad Yousuf Bhat, the victim’s younger brother, said.
Claiming that “it was a target fire”, Yousuf said that Bhat was “far away from the encounter site” and was not among the stone pelters and not even protestors.
“Not to talk of stone pelting, he would rarely attend the funeral of the slain militants or civilians. The tear gas shells fired by the forces did not reach us, but it was a target fire (that critically injured Bhat),” Yousuf said.
Yousuf said that the doctors at the SMHS hospital told him that the bullet “almost pierced through his windpipe” and hit his shoulder as well.
Speaking over the phone probably to his family outside the hospital SICU, Yousuf says, “If it takes us 4 more days here, we will have to stay here in turns”.
Ghulam Rasool Mir, Bhat’s brother-in-law too believes that “it was a target fire” that critically injured his relative.
Bhat, who as per Mir, “had to take an appointment for his ailing wife from a doctor in Anantnag” was “shot instead” by the forces.
“He could not run away because of his age as other youth near the encounter site could,” Mir said.
“He began to show body movements since yesterday afternoon,” Mir added.
A paramedic attending Bhat at the SICU also said that Bhat was “stable”.
“Although he was critical earlier, but he is better now,” the paramedic said.