Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, May 20: Army today claimed that the girl who was killed in Drang area of Budgam district did not die of the explosion left over by the Army after carrying out firing drills in Tosamaidan artillery firing range.
An Army spokesman said that media has blamed Army for leaving the shell unexploded after carrying out firing drills.
“It has been brought out that a 12 yrs old girl, Simran Riyaz died on the spot while her brother Fayaz Ahmed Parray lost both his legs when they walked over a littered shell,” the spokesman said.
He said the location of incident was a house instead of nallahs and the explosion cannot be related to an artillery shell because explosion of even a smaller caliber artillery shell would have caused the room or the house to collapse or get damaged.
“There was only a small crater of few inches. Artillery shell could not have drifted from the impact area and come to Lassipora as there is no nallah connecting impact area and the village. In fact the intervening features are such that no amount of rain could cause this. Also as per the reports, the explosion took place in a field. However, the explosion has taken place within the house of Manzoor Parray,” the spokesman claimed.
He said notwithstanding the reason of the incident, the Army on request of the family and on humanitarian grounds took on the treatment of the child and admitted him at the Badami Bagh Base Hospital.
He aid Army also implores the media houses not to publish unconfirmed facts and biased reports devoid of truth.
“Army expresses grief over the incident of explosion and sends its condolences to the bereaved family,” he said.
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