Srinagar, Nov 22 : A day after the Army said that it launched an investigation into the alleged “ill-treatment” of civilians during an operation in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district, Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti urged the union territory government to take “swift action” against those “involved” to ensure accountability.

The Army said a search operation “based on specific intelligence of the move of a group of terrorists in the Kishtwar sector” was launched on Wednesday by Rashtriya rifles.

“There are some reports on the alleged ill-treatment of civilians during the conduct of the operation,” said the Army’s White Knight Corps of the Army in a post on X on Thursday evening.

”An investigation is being launched to ascertain the facts. Necessary follow- up action will be ensured. Further movement of the group of terrorists is being monitored.”

On Friday, former chief minister Mufti expressed grave concern over allegations of “severe torture” inflicted on civilians in Kishtwar district.

“Allegations of severe torture have emerged from Kishtwar, taking us back to the disturbing events that took place in Bafliaz Surankote earlier this year. Sajad Ahmad, Abdul Kabir, Mushtaq Ahmad, and Mehraj-ud-Din, all from Kuath village, were summoned to the army camp for questioning where they were allegedly subjected to extreme physical torture. The victims, left severely injured and unable to walk, had to be carried to the hospital,” Mufti said in a post on X.

She urged the UT government to take swift action against those involved to ensure accountability and to prevent such heinous human rights violations from recurring in future.

Kishtwar has seen a series of militant attacks this month. A junior commissioned officer of the Army elite paramilitary unit was killed in a gunfight in the Chask area of the district on November 10. Three days earlier, two village defence guards were abducted and killed in the Keshwan forests in the district.

UNI