Seven armymen given life sentence in 'fake encounter'

Seven armymen were awarded life sentence in a 2010 "fake encounter" in which three youths were killed, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said Thursday.

"The army has handed out life sentences to seven, including the CO (commanding officer), in the Machil fake encounter case of 2010. This is indeed a welcome step," the chief minister posted on Twitter.

Shezad Ahmad, Muhammad Shafi and Riyaz Ahmad, all from Nadihal village in Baramulla district, were gunned down by the army near the Line of Control (LoC) in Machil area of Kupwara district May, 3, 2010.

The army had then said they were three Pakistan-trained guerrillas who were killed while trying to infiltrate into the Kashmir Valley.

But a public outcry broke in the Valley after the killings.

"I hope we never see such Machil fake encounter type of incidents ever again and let this serve as a warning to those tempted to try," Abdullah tweeted.