Two more deaths take toll to 46

Ehsan Fazili

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, July 22

After three days of relative calm, one person was killed and several others injured in fresh clashes in Kashmir today while another youth succumbed to his injuries at a Srinagar hospital, taking the death toll during the past two weeks of violence to 46.

The fresh killing took place at Chursoo in the Awantipora area of Pulwama district in south Kashmir. Mushtaq Ahmad, who was critically injured during action by security forces in Chursoo, was shifted to a Srinagar hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead. The police said that the initial investigation hinted that Ahmed was hit by a tear smoke shell.

Earlier, Ishfaq Ahmad succumbed to his injuries at SKIMS on Thursday night after battling for his life for 12 days. Ishfaq was injured during the clashes in the Kokernag area of Anantnag district in south Kashmir on July 9, a day after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.

With the death of two persons, the death toll during the clashes during the past two weeks went up to 46, which included a policeman.

There was relative calm for three days from Tuesday. Three persons, including two women, were killed due to firing by security forces at Churath in the Devsar area of Kulgam district of south Kashmir on Monday.

After Friday prayers today, at least two person were injured in the Kakapora area of Pulwama district. One of them, Asif Reshi, was shifted to the SMHS Hospital in Srinagar with critical injuries.

With strict curfew restrictions, Friday congregational prayers were not held at the Jamia Masjid in Srinagar 

for the second consecutive Friday.

Roads leading to Jamia Masjid were blocked with heavy deployment of police and paramilitary personnel and barricades to block the roads.

There were reports of protest demonstrations from several localities of Srinagar after Friday prayers though the situation remained peaceful.

There were reports of clashes from Sopore and Bandipora towns of north Kashmir, in which several protesters were injured in clashes.

The police and CRPF resorted to teargas shell firing in the air and use of pellet guns. One of the seriously injured in Sopore was taken to the SMHS Hospital.

In a joint statement, separatist leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik reiterated the call to observe a complete shutdown for three days from Saturday. They said a congregation to pay 

tributes to those killed would be held in Anantnag on July 25.