NEW DELHI, 25 October 2021, (TON): A 19-year-old civilian has been shot dead in Indian-administered Kashmir in what his family called “cold-blooded murder” by Indian forces.

It was the 12th civilian killing this month in the region either by rebel fighters or security forces.

Authorities said the teenager was on Sunday caught up in “cross-firing”, a term used by police to describe a gun battle between Indian forces and rebels, in Shopian in south Kashmir.

The young man was identified as Shahid Ahmad Rather, a college student, who also worked as an apple-picking labourer.

His brother Zubair Ahmad told media that Shahid had not been home for the last four days as it was the harvest season in Shopian.

Zubair said “I spoke to him last night and we decided that we will go home together today. I had informed my mother as well. But when I called him this morning no one responded. I got a call then that he was killed by the paramilitary forces near the camp for no reason when he was just walking.”

The family has not been given the body yet for the last rites, he added.