Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Aug 24: In one of the rarest incidents of its kind in the 22-years of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir, local youth of a separatist stronghold of old Srinagar city, once considered to be hot bed of militancy, chased militants in broad day light and snatched weapons from them.
The youth of Nowhatta snatched a rifle and a pistol from three militants, who were feeling with the rifle they had snatched from a police man at Jamia Masjid Srinagar this afternoon, a police spokesman said here.
Police said that three armed youth snatched an INSAS rifle from Constable Nazir Ahmad of India Reserve Police, posted at Jamia Masjid Srinagar in Nowhatta area of the city soon after Friday prayers were over and people were coming out the Masjid.
Police said that the militants taking advantage of huge crowd hit the constable on head with a pistol. He fell unconscious in the sudden assault and militants fled away after taking the service rifle of the injured constable with him.
Police said that the local youth chased the three militants and overpowered them at Bohri Kadal, around one kilometer from the spot where from they snatched the rifle. The youth snatched the INSAS rifle and a pistol from the three militants and handed it over to the Police Station Nowhatta. However, militants managed to escape. The other youth removed the unconscious police constable to hospital.
This is for the first time that people chased the militants and snatched weapons from them in the heart of Srinagar that was once hot bed and militancy and is considered to be the stronghold of separatists.
Normally on every Friday youth pelt stones on police and para-military Central Reserve Police (CRPF) soon after Friday prayers here at Nowhatta but this incident of youth coming to the rescue a police man and chase militants is rarest of rare particularly in this part of Kashmir.
The area has seen police and security forces, and youth of area always at logger heads with each other. The major impact of the summer unrest of 2008, 2009 and 2010 was also witnessed in this old city area of Srinagar where police and stone throwing protesters clashed almost on regular bases for three consecutive summers. The area has also witnessed major armed clashes between militants and security forces since 1990 and of late ding dong battles between police and stones throwing protesters.
Police and local youth are never at peace with each other in Nowhatta but this event has surprised everyone when locals came to the rescue of the policeman and snatched weapons from militants.
Only this week on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr on Monday, angry youth set ablaze a police Rakshak in Eidgah area of old city soon after Eid prayers. Three police men were also beaten up severely and in the clashes that followed between police and protesters over a dozen protesters were injured.
In the meantime, police arrested four youth for setting ablaze a police vehicle on the occasion of Eid and sent them to Central Jail Srinagar. Three of them have been identified as Mohammad Burhan Lone son of Gulzar Ahmad Lone of Shaheen Mohalla, Noor Bagh Srinagar, first year student at Gandhi Memorial College Srinagar; Mohammad Yunis Sheikh, 17, son of Mohammad Sidiq Sheikh of Dana Mazar Safa Kadal who is a salesman; and Abid Beg son of Ghulam Mohammad Beg of Mahraj Bazar Srinagar.
Police sources said that hunt for 8 others, who are accused involved in the setting ablaze of the police vehicle and beating of policemen, is on. The 12 youth have been identified on the basis of Video footage and photographic evidence of the spot.
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