Andleeb killed while saving injured boy, says her family

Suhail A Shah

Anantnag, July 8

In a matter of five minutes, the world of the Mokdam family in Havoora village of Kulgam district turned upside down, with the killing of their 13-year-old daughter Andleeb.

Andleeb, a Class VII student of Government High School in Havoora, was the youngest among three daughters of farmer Ali Muhammad Mokdam.

She along with Shakir Ahmad Khanday (19) and Irshad Ahmad Lone (22) were killed during the Army firing on youths throwing stones at them.

The Army maintained that its personnel were attacked by a stone-throwing mob. It stated that they had warned the mob against doing so, but to no avail which led to the “unfortunate” civilian killings.

Family members of Andleeb, however, have a different story to tell.

They said at noon on Saturday, they shut themselves indoors while the protests and stone-throwing was going on outside.

“The sloganeering was soon replaced by cries, shrieks and sounds of people running for cover as intense gunfire reverberated the area,” Andleeb’s uncle Muhammad Amin said.

He said the gunfire stopped and soon, somebody on the street outside their house started to cry in pain.

“While all of us were still wondering what had happened, Andleeb ran outside only to find Shakir, a neighborhood boy, lying in a pool of blood,” said Amin.

A neighbour, who did not want to be named, added that Andleeb was not alone, several other girls from the neighborhood had ventured out.

“While they tried to pick Shakir, Army men, who were still in the vicinity, fired a volley of bullets at the girls,” the neighbour claimed, adding that the other girls were saved as they took cover.

However, Andleeb was in the direct line of fire, the family said.

She was shot in cold blood 10 minutes after the first round of firing, while she was trying to save an injured person, said the family and neighbours.

Both Andleeb and Shakir were rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared her brought dead.

“It all happened in a matter of five minutes and in 15 minutes, Andleeb was no more with us,” Muhammad Amin said. He said the parents of Andleeb were devastated by the loss.

On Sunday, a large number of people visited the Mokdam household to offer their condolences to the family.