Indian troops martyr two more Kashmiri youth in IOK

Indian troops martyred two Kashmiri youth in Kulgam district in Indian-occupied Kashmir on Sunday.

SRINAGAR (Dunya News) - Indian occupational troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred two Kashmiri youth in Kulgam district in Indian-occupied Kashmir on Sunday, taking the number of slain youth to four in the past 24 hours.

The troops martyred the four youth during a cordon and search operation at Asthal area in Kulgam district this evening. The operation by the personnel of Indian Army and paramilitary forces continued till last reports came in.

Earlier, Indian troops had martyred three Kashmiri youth in Pulwama district on Saturday and two in Arwani area of Islamabad district on Friday. The troops had martyred four youth during a similar operation in Melhora area of Shopian district on Wednesday.

On the other hand, New York Times in its report said Kashmir is witnessing an alarming increase in instances of depression, anxiety and psychotic events. Eight months after India revoked Kashmir’s semiautonomous status and brought the region fully under its authority, doctors here say a state of hopelessness has morphed into a severe psychological crisis.

Doctors and researchers say the Kashmir Valley, tucked into the Himalayas, has few resources to cope. This area has been mired in conflict for decades, with its majority-Muslim population agitating for independence from India, which is majority Hindu and controls most of Kashmir, The New York Times report said.

Even before the events of recent months, decades of violence between Indian security forces and Kashmiri Muslims had taken a physical and mental toll on the region and its people. Nearly 1.8 million Kashmiris, or nearly half of all adults, have some form of mental disorder, Doctors Without Borders estimated after surveying 5,600 households in 2015. Nine of 10 have experienced conflict-related traumas. The figures are much higher than in India, according to other surveys.