August 15, 2010

70 injured in curfew bound Kashmir

Srinagar, August 15: Forty-five police and security force men were among seventy persons injured, four of them seriously, in fresh clashes amid strict curfew in Kashmir Valley on Sunday.

Two persons sustained bullet wounds when police and security forces opened fire at stone-pelting mob in Chanpora Habbak area in outskirts of here this evening.

They said both the injured, Omar Ahmad and Suhail Ahmad were shifted to Shri Kashmir Institute of the Medical Sciences here. While Omar has sustained bullet in thigh, Suhail was hit on back. “Condition of Suhail Ahmad is very serious,” the official added.

After police fired at protesters in the premises of the Hazratbal shrine that houses the sacred relic of Prophet Muhammad, there were no prayers in the revered shrine today.

Massive protest demonstrations erupted in Nowshera and Soura areas after security forces allegedly beat up two youth to pulp for defying curfew. The youths have been identified as Zahoor Ahmad Khan and Wahid Nasir. However, there was no official confirmation to the incident.

There were protests at over 20 places despite strict curfew across in the Valley. Reports of protests were received from Natipora, Rambagh, Bemina, SafaKadal, Darish Kadal in the Srinagar, the summer capital of the city.

Two persons, Ghulam Mohammad and Mudasir Admad Wani were injured when security forces opened fire to disperse highly surcharged stone-pelting youth at Nudrish Colony in Bemina area here, 6 kilometers from Lal Chowk, Srinagar’s commercial hub.

They were protesting against the fresh killing in recent past, they added. Fifty-eight persons have been killed in police and paramilitary CRPF firing since June 11 last.

Protesters clashed with police at several places in Baramulla district. There were protests at Seelo village on the Sopore-Kupwara highway, Bomai, where two youth were killed Friday and other adjoining areas. Protesters also clashed in Sangrama

In another northern Kashmir district, Bandipora, al-least sixteen persons were injured when police resorted to baton charge and fire teargas canisters at protesters at Ajus area. All of them have been hospitalized.

In South Kashmir, Bijbhera on Srinagar-Jammu highway, Dialgam, Pampore, Tral and K.P Chowk Anantnag, were a man was killed yesterday. Police used batons and teargas shell to disperse the stone-pelting group of youth. Several youth sustained minor injuries in the police and security forces action, they added.

Reports of protests were also received from central Kashmir’s Ompora in Budgam. However, there were no reports about injury to anyone in the clashes.

Most shops and others businesses, many governments offices and banks in Srinagar and other major towns were closed and while traffic was off the roads.

Meanwhile, separatist Hurriyat Conference led by hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani issued fresh protest calendar for next ten days. There is no strike on Tuesday, half of Friday and on August 24. The separatist amalgam has called for march to HMT, Sopore, Pattan and Kupwara on Wednesday next.

Police termed the situation “by and large” peaceful. “45 CRPF and police personnel also sustained injuries, three of them on their heads, in the clashes” a police spokesman said here.