Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Oct 21: Police today put under house arrest and arrested top separatist leaders ahead of 4th day of truck conductor Zahid Ahmad Bhat at Anantnag and Moharram procession in Srinagar while authorities imposed strict restrictions in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district following continued violence.
Police today put under house arrest chairman of Hurriyat Conference (M), Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, chairman of HC (G), Syed Ali Shah Geelani, senior separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah, Nayeem Ahmad Khan and several other middle rung separatist leaders and arrested chairman of JKLF Yasin Malik and its senior leader Javed Ahmad Mir as a precautionary measure.
These leaders were arrested ahead of 4th day ceremony of truck conductor, Zahid Ahmad who succumbed to injuries in Safdarjung Hospital on Sunday.
They were also arrested ahead of Moharram procession of Shia community that is scheduled to pass through sensitive areas of Srinagar city. However, authorities have decided to impose restrictions in three Police Station areas of Srinagar city tomorrow to prevent mourners from taking out Muharram processions from sensitive areas.
The restrictions would be imposed in the areas falling under Maisuma, Shaheed Gunj and Ram Munshi Bagh. Since the outbreak of insurgency, the police are not allowing Shia mourners to take out traditional Muharram procession from Guru Bazar to Dalgate in view of apprehensions of law and order disturbance.
In South Kashmir district of Anantnag, police and para-military CRPF in riot gear were deployed in the streets. The security men strictly imposed the restrictions to prevent protests and confined residents to their houses.
However, during restrictions clashes broke out between protesters and Police at multiple places in Anantnag. The stone-pelting clashes broke out at Mattan,Lazibal, Heerpora, Janglat Mandi and Harnag in Anantnag district.
Police fired dozens of teargas shells to disperse the protesters while chasing them. Three youth were injured at Lazibal during stone-throwing clashes.
Batengo, the native village of slain truck conductor Zahid, also witnessed intermittent clashes throughout the day. Two persons were injured during the clashes. Wanpoh and Khudwani areas of neighbouring Kulgam district also witnessed stone-throwing clashes for the third consecutive day today against the death of Zahid.
A protester identified as Naseer Ahmad Dar was seriously injured after a teargas shell hit him during clashes at Bijbehara town of Anantnag district. He was immediately removed to District Hospital but the doctors referred him to Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences Soura where he was operated upon. His condition is stated to be out of danger.
The protesters at several places along Srinagar-Jammu National Highway targeted trucks and civil vehicles with stones and broke their glasses.
The district administration, meanwhile, said that the restrictions in Anantnag district would continue tomorrow in view of the prevailing law and order situation. Deputy Inspector General (DIG), South Kashmir appealed residents of the district to help security forces in restoring peace.
Meanwhile, scores of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) supporters staged protests and resorted to stone-pelting in Lal Chowk and Maisuma areas of the city centre here after police detained JKLF chairman Yasin Malik at SKIMS Soura. The protesters resorted to stone-pelting at police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) at Budshah Chowk, Lal Chowk and Court Road. The protesters also enforced a partial shutdown in these areas.
Police fired teargas and pepper gas to disperse the protesters leading to panic among commuters and shopkeepers. Clashes in Maisuma were underway till late in the evening during which a youth was injured in pellet gunfire.
The Railway authorities, meanwhile, informed this evening that the train services from Banihal to Baramulla would remain suspended tomorrow in view of prevailing law and order situation.
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