One more dies, over 100 injured in protests across the Valley

Ehsan Fazili

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, July 29

There were demonstrations and violent clashes between protesters and security forces in many parts of the Kashmir valley after Friday prayers today even as curfew remained in force to foil the separatists’ march to Jamia Masjid in old Srinagar, leaving over 100 civilians and police personnel injured.

The SMHS Hospital here received nearly 30 injured civilians till the evening, including three with bullet injuries and many others with pellet injuries, the authorities said. However, the condition of three youths from Kupwara with bullet injuries was stated to be stable.

At least 35 others got injured in different areas of the south Kashmir districts of Anantnag, Pulwama, Kulgam and Shopian. Protesters attacked security pickets in Shopian and Pulwama districts.

One person sustained bullet injuries at Kakapora in Pulwama district and was taken to SKIMS in Srinagar. Some others were reported to have received pellet injuries. A government sheep farm building was set ablaze at Sheermal in Shopian during the protests.

Incidents of stone-throwing and clashes between civilian protesters and security forces were reported from various areas of Srinagar, including Sonwar, Mehjoor Nagar, Natipora, Chhanpora, Bagh-e-Mehtab and Rawalpora.

People took to the streets after Friday prayers and held protest demonstrations, leading to clashes with police and CRPF personnel.

The police lobbed teargas shells to quell demonstrators and chase away stone-throwers who gathered outside the office of the  United Nations Military Observer Group In India and Pakistan at Sonwar, located near the high-security Gupkar Road.

Leaders of both factions of the Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, were detained by the police while attempting to march towards the Jamia Masjid around noon. All roads leading to the downtown area were sealed to prevent any movement and foil the separatists’ march.

Reports from Kupwara said three teenage boys were wounded when security forces opened fire to disperse protesters indulging in stone-throwing at Gushi village.

Protests were reported from different areas of Baramulla, Bandipora and Kupwara districts in north Kashmir. At least 15 persons were injured during clashes in the Khwaja Bagh area of Baramulla this afternoon.

Three persons received bullet injuries in Kupwara while a number of protesters received pellet injuries in north Kashmir areas.

The police said about 70 incidents of stone-throwing were witnessed across the Valley. Miscreants attacked a number of police and security establishments and camps, said a police spokesman. Eight civilians and 46 police and security personnel were injured, he said.

He added that militants lobbed a grenade on police and CRPF personnel in Shopian. It was later defused by the bomb disposal squad. Protesters set a government building on fire at Ruhama 

in Baramulla, the spokesman further said.