150 protesters injured in Pulwama clashes

Samaan Lateef

Tribune News Services

Srinagar, September 11

At least 150 protesters were injured on Sunday in clashes with security forces in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.

Hundreds of protesters came out on the roads to stop security forces from fighting militants at Karimabad village of Pulwama. The protesters blocked roads and threw stones at the police and Army men who had cordoned off the village following inputs on the presence of militants in the area. 

The security forces resorted to firing and tear-smoke shelling to disperse the protesters, who refused to go away. In the ensuing clashes, at least 150 people were injured and 18 of them were shifted to the Shri Maharaja Hari Singh hospital in Srinagar for specialised treatment.

“We had received an input of the presence of 3-4 militants in Karimabad and launched an operation along with the Army on Sunday morning,” said Pulwama Superintendent of Police Rayees Mohammad Bhat.

Villagers blocked roads and threw stones at security personnel as soon as they entered the village, Bhat said. “Roads were blocked and people made announcements in mosques, calling for protests. We had to call off the operation,” he said.

Earlier, in the day a 23-year-old youth succumbed to bullet injuries he received in clashes last month with the security forces in Kashmir— taking the death toll in the ongoing unrest to 78.

Javaid Ahmad Dar of Wadwan village of Budgam district died of bullet wounds he suffered in clashes in the neighbouring village, Narbal, on August 5. He was admitted to Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences.