Kashmir: After pellet injury, 20-month-old baby could lose eyesight
20-month-old Hiba could lose her eyesight after she was hit by a pellet at her residence in Batgund area of Shopian district, Jammu and Kashmir. Following an encounter on Sunday morning, clashes broke out between civilians and security personnel. In this, nearly 50 were injured and one lost his life. Hiba is currently undergoing treatment at Srinagar's Shri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) Hospital.
Backstory: Army succeeds in eliminating many terrorists
In South Kashmir, security forces registered a big win after seven terrorists, including three alleged top commanders and two Pakistani terrorists, were killed in two separate encounters on Sunday. Earlier, on Friday, security forces killed six terrorists. Police said all 'notorious terrorists of the belt have been successfully eliminated'. But in clashes that followed, Hiba was severely injured.
Hiba and her family were at home when clashes broke
According to an Indian Express report, Hiba's mother Marsala Jan said they were inside their home when she heard intense tear gas shelling. "I decided to take my children (she has another son aged 5) out but as soon as I opened the door, three men (security personnel) fired pellets on us directly," she said. Marsala covered Hiba's face, she said.
They didn't even leave a small kid, her father says
Meanwhile, Nisar Ahmad, Hiba's father, asked relatives on phone to check up on his son. He feared he may have suffered pellet injuries. He said, "They didn't even leave this small kid...I am just praying to God that she has no serious problem in her eye." Marsala asked what was her daughter's fault, "She is too young to understand, what has happened to her."
The kid's condition isn't good, doctor reveals
A doctor at the Department of Ophthalmology, SMHS, said Hiba's condition is not good. He explained she has suffered "perforation in the cornea with pellet in the eye." He added, "We are keeping our fingers crossed and see how she responds to the treatment." While Hiba's cries didn't stop, Marsala wanted punishment for those who ruined her child's life.
