Countless Civilian Homes Blown Up As State Fights Militants in Kashmir

For many Kashmiris, the days starts and ends with Cordon and Search Operations by the forces, with the complete destruction of homes accompanying the gunfights and deaths that define what are dubbed ‘encounters’. While the figures of those killed become public, what is not known outside Kashmir is that the houses where the militants might have run into to escape the security dragnet are blown up by the forces, leaving the civilian owners without home and hearth.

In almost every gunfight, the armed forces that includes the Jammu and Kashmir police and its special counterinsurgency wing, are blowing up the civilian properties with Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).

This is not new in Kashmir, but has increased dramatically according to locals. A large number of houses have been destroyed, with no data available about the numbers. No compensation is paid, even in cases where the civilian owners have nothing to do with the militants who have entered to fight the forces.

The photographs below give an idea of the damage caused to the homes of local Kashmiris, compounding the agony and suffering of innocent civilians caught between the rock and a hard place.

Kashmiri young kids displaying the fired bullets as collected from the damaged houses after the gunfight at Mujgund, outskirts of Srinagar.

An elderly neighbourhood woman stands baffled past the bullet peppered wall of a residential house that was ravaged during a gunfight at Nowgam, outskirts of Srinagar.

People are seen inside the residential house that was ravaged during a gunfight at Hakripora, south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.

A mother along with her little son take a look atop their damaged house that was devastated in a gunfight at Kuthpora, outskirts of Srinagar.

The distressed family who lost their house in a gunfight at Mujgund, outskirts of Srinagar.

The bullet ridden wall of a residential house that was partially damaged near a spot of gunfight at Kuthpora, outskirts of Srinagar.

A mother holding her infant stands perplexed near the window of her damaged house that was ruined in a gunfight at Mujgund, outskirts of Srinagar.

A man walks amidst debris in a residential house that was burnt to the ground during a gunfight at Hakripora, south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.

People examine a residential house that was demolished during a gunfight at Mujgund, outskirts of Srinagar.

Amid sobs and tears, a family member faints after losing their home in a gunfight at Mujgund, outskirts of Srinagar.

Zahoor Ahmad, a resident stands dismayed past his demolished house that was destructed in a gunfight at Mujgund, outskirts of Srinagar.

A boy stands past the rocket launcher hole on a wall of residential house that was destroyed during a gunfight at Mujgund, outskirts of Srinagar.

Shahid Ahmad, 7, a resident works at rebuilding his house that was raised to ground in a gunfight at Mujgund, outskirts of Srinagar.

The affected families living in makeshift shelter after losing their houses in a gunfight at Mujgund, outskirts of Srinagar.

Residents collecting donations for affected families who lost their houses in a gunfight at Mujgund, outskirts of Srinagar.