Template:Infobox civilian attack
The Handwara massacre was the killing of 21 Kashmiri civilians by the Border Security Force on 25 January 1990 in Handwara, a town in the Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir, India.[1][2]
Background
Prior to the Handwara incident, on 21 January 1990, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) had opened fire on protesters at the Gawkadal bridge in Srinagar, leading to significant civilian casualties. This event, known as the Gawkadal massacre, intensified public outrage and led to widespread protests across the region.[3]
Massacre
On 25 January 1990, thousands of residents gathered in Handwara to protest the Gawkadal massacre and demand accountability for massacre which had occurred four days earlier. The protesters, chanting slogans and waving placards, marched through the town. As the procession approached the Handwara Police Station, a Tata Matador (407) carrying BSF personnel arrived at the scene.[2][4][5]
According to eyewitnesses, the BSF personnel opened fire indiscriminately into the crowd without any warning. The shooting resulted in the immediate deaths of 21 civilians and left over 75 others injured. The victims included women and children, with several eyewitnesses described the scene as chaotic and harrowing, with bodies lying on the ground and survivors scrambling to escape the gunfire.[6]
References
- ↑ Handwara massacre survivors want a memorial for the victims, migrator. Greater Kashmir(2018-01-24). Retrieved 2024-12-18.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 29 Years On, Justice Eludes Handwara Massacre Victims. Kashmir Observer(2019-01-25). Retrieved 2024-12-18.
- ↑ Kashmir: The Scarred and the Beautiful. The New York Review of Books. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
- ↑ Handwara Massacre | Jan 25, 1990: When 21 people fell to BSF bullets. Greater Kashmir. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
- ↑ "It was doomsday": 31 years on, justice eludes Handwara massacre victims. the Kashmir Walla. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
- ↑ Handwara Massacre: Where 25 fell to Bullets mourning Gaw Kadal. The Kashmiriyat(2021-01-25). Retrieved 2024-12-18.