Shutdown in Sopore, clashes in Srinagar

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, September 14

North Kashmir’s Sopore town and its adjoining areas observed a shutdown on Friday over the killing of Hurriyat Conference activist by gunmen last week.

While the police blamed militants for the killing of Hurriyat activist Hakeem-ur-Rehman at Bomai village on the outskirts of Sopore on September 8, separatists and militants accused the Indian agencies of his killing.

The joint resistance leadership of separatists had called for a shutdown on Friday to protest Rehman’s killing.

Shops and business establishment remained shut in the town and neighbouring villages. There were, however, minor incidents of stone-throwing in the town.

A police officer in Sopore said the situation remained peaceful throughout the day.

Meanwhile, the J&K Police on Friday said the Aadhaar cards recovered from the two Pakistani Jaish-e-Mohammed militants Ali, alias Athar, and Zia-ur-Rehman, killed in the six-hour Sopore gunfight on Thursday, were fake.

The Aadhaar cards identified the two slain militants as Sahil Ahmad of Dardpora, Kupwara, and Muhammad Yasin of Dedkote, Kupwara.

“The Aadhaar cards are fake and the two are Pakistani nationals,” a police officer said.

In Srinagar, clashes erupted in old city’s Nowhatta locality after the Friday prayers. There was, however, no report of any injury in the clashes. The joint resistance leadership staged protests against the mysterious killings in Srinagar.