‘Human shield’: Questions on Indian Army after militant hideout video
In the aftermath of twin gunfights that claimed the lives of four militants and two army men in the Kulgam district of Kashmir, several questions have arisen regarding the tactics employed by Indian armed forces. A viral video circulating on social media depicts a tense scene: armed forces personnel dismantling a cupboard inside a house in Chinigam Frisal, revealing a concealed bunker where militants had reportedly taken refuge.
In the video, scattered household items clutter the room's carpeted floor. Two armed forces personnel wearing boots stand amidst the debris, accompanied by two civilians: one standing nearby, and another seated by the open wardrobe where militants were suspected to have hidden. The wardrobe conceals a small concrete space where militants were believed to be sheltering. Before entering, the civilians hesitated, awaiting instructions.
An armed personnel's commanding voice directs one civilian to enter the cupboard. “Ja andar! Andar Ja! Jaa andar, poora (Go inside! Go inside! Go inside completely),” forces personnel ordered in a stern voice. “Andar ka poora video banana…aagey jaa, poora dikha abhi…(Make a complete video inside... go ahead, show everything now, carefully move around…).”
This scene has sparked criticism online, with netizens accusing the armed forces of using civilians as "human shields”. Criticism erupted as the video showed civilians seemingly “coerced” into risky roles, with armed personnel nearby. Netizens condemned what they perceived as using civilians allegedly as "human shields," highlighting concerns over ethical conduct in military operations.
“Agar andar koi hota, aur woh fire karta waha say, tou kon bachara mara jata ? (If someone was inside, and they fired from there, then who would have been the innocent one killed?),” one user commented on Kashmir Wire News’s Facebook post on the hideout.
Another one wrote, “They [are] taking Kashmir civil youth on forefront shield..”
As the civilian crawled inside the wardrobe, he saw a small concrete space, barely breathable, where militants were believed to have been hiding.
Responding to the same video, a user on X questioned whether the civilian was tasked with searching the space, saying, "I wonder how a person can stay there without ventilation. It is quarter of a cell."
Using civilians as human shields is a widely condemned tactic employed by the Israeli Defense Forces in occupied Palestinian territories, recognized globally as a flagrant breach of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions.
A user quoted the video and tweeted, “They can see locals helping them to hide, but not the army using innocent Kashmiris as shields. Using civilians as human shields is deeply unethical and violates international humanitarian law.”
Another one said, “Indian army is using an innocent Kashmiri civilian as a human shield [and] no one is talking about this.”
This is not the first time that Indian armed forces have been accused of using Kashmiris as “human shields” during the search or insurgency operation.
In 2021, Major General Rashim Bali, GOC of the Victor Force in south Kashmir, defended the practice of using civilians as cover during a community event in Pulwama district. This justification echoed previous incidents, such as Major Leetul Gogoi's controversial use of Farooq Dar as a human shield in 2017, which sparked widespread condemnation but did not prevent similar occurrences from recurring.
A month later, Major Gogoi was awarded for his "sustained efforts" in counter-insurgency, with Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat praising the use of Dar as a human shield.
On 16 May 2019, brothers Younis and Rayees from Pulwama district were picked up by 44 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) and Jammu and Kashmir Police's Special Operations Group (SOG) before dawn to assist in locating a house in their village. Tragically, Younis was injured and Rayees lost his life during the operation.
After half a decade, nothing has changed on the ground. After busting the hideout, the officials, as quoted by News 18, that “the involvement of local residents in sheltering them is also suspected and being investigated”.
According to officials, all the militants killed by the armed forces belonged to Hizbul Mujahideen, including one who was the local commander of this Pakistan-affiliated militant group.
During the twin gunfights in Kulgam's villages, which began on 6 July, two army personnel, including an elite para commando, lost their lives. “The bodies of two terrorists were recovered from the Modergam encounter site while four bodies were recovered from the Chinigam site on Sunday,” officials said, as per the report.
