Amid curfew, clashes continue

Ehsan Fazili

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, August 25

Amid curfew in parts of Srinagar city and three South Kashmir towns and restrictions elsewhere in the Valley, clashes and stone pelting incidents took place in various areas as the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh concluded his two-day visit to the Valley today.

The curfew continued in downtown areas of the capital city while restrictions were enforced in other areas amid a complete shutdown on day 48 of the current crisis on Thursday. Curfew also remained enforced in Anantnag town of South Kashmir, which has not seen any respite since the trouble started early last month.

The curfew was also enforced in Pulwama and Pampore towns of South Kashmir today following the clashes that led to the killing of a youth and injuries to several others in Pinglina area of Pulwama district on Wednesday. Residents of Pinglina village today alleged that security forces barged into their houses and damaged household valuables following the incidents that took place in the area yesterday. Clashes also took place in Watapora-Kaloosa areas of Bandipore district after a protest rally against the recent civilian killings was taken out in the area. The police lobbed teargas shells to quell demonstrators, in which a youth got seriously injured.

The Kashmir valley has been on the edge following the killing of Hizb commander Burhan Wani and his two associates in Kokernag area of Anantnag district of South Kashmir on July 8. The death of Burhan Wani, poster boy of militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen, triggered the current unrest that has led to the death of 68 persons including 66 civilians and two policemen and injuries to thousand others in the clashes so far. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh while concluding his two day Kashmir visit to find ways to end the unrest, here today said more than 4,500 security forces personnel were among those injured in these clashes between the protesters and security forces.

The police here said six incidents of stone pelting were reported from different areas of the Valley—- Lawaypora in Srinagar, Hathlangoo, Warpora in Sopore, Khurhama in Kupwara, Watapora-Kaloosa in Bandipore district. “Apart from these incidents, overall situation remained under control across the Valley till filing of this report,” a police spokesman said here this evening. The spokesman said “following improvement in the situation, increased movement of vehicular traffic and people was observed in most parts of Kashmir including Srinagar city.