Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, July 10: Six persons including a cop were killed in violent clashes that continued in Kashmir for third consecutive day today with mobs attacking police and para-military forces and their establishments while three more persons who were injured yesterday succumbed to injuries taking the death toll to 21.
The violent protests in Kashmir started soon after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander on Friday evening in a shootout in Kokernag area of South Kashmir and besides 21 deaths over 230 people including 100 police men were injured so far.
Five protesters and a cop were killed and over 60 people including police men were injured in today’s clashes in several parts of Kashmir that raged despite curfew.
A cop drowned after a police vehicle was attacked by angry protesters with stones and the vehicle was pushed into river Jhelum near Sangam in South Kashmir district of Anantnag today. Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police K Rajendra Kumar told reporters here that the Mobile Bunker of Police was thrown into the river by a crowd along with the driver. The driver Afroz Ahmad drowned in the river.
A cop was thrashed by a group of protesters and they tried to snatch his rifle near Saloora, Ganderbal. However, the bid was foiled by his colleagues who immediately reached to the spot and fired tear smoke shells besides using pellet gun fire to disperse them.
At Lassipora in Pulwama, a group of protesting youth torched a Vehicle (TATA 407). The security forces opened fire resulting in injuries to at least 2 persons, Gulzar Pandith of Shopian and Muzaffar Hussain of Keegam Shopian. They were rushed to hospital but were declared brought as dead by the doctors who attended upon them.
Another youth, Irfan Malik of Warwan Pulwama was killed when security forces opened fire to quell protesters near Rajpora Chowk, Pulwama. Besides Irfan a number of protesters suffered injuries and have been hospitalized.
At Qazigund, a youth identified as Mashook Ahmad of Qund was killed when Police and para-military forces opened fire on protesters.
A protester Shabir Ahmad son of Abdul Rehman resident of Tengpora Bypass in Srinagar was killed when security forces opened fire on protesters at Bypass this evening. He was removed to SKIMS hospital Bemina where he succumbed.
Three other persons including a girl who were injured in security forces firing at different places of Kulgam and Anantnag last evening succumbed to their injuries. They have been identified as Imtiyaz Mandoo of Anantnag, Altaf Rather of Rajpora Pulwama, and Yasmeena of DH Pora.
Yesterday 12 persons identified as Adil Bashir Khan of Verinag, Dooru, Saqib Manzoor Mir of Khundroo Achabal, Aijaz Ahmad Thakur of Siligam Ashmuqam, Mohammad Ashraf Dar of Halpora Kokernag, Showkat Ahmad Mir of Hassanpora Arwani Bijbehara, Jehangir Ahmad Gania of Hassanpora Bijbehara, Mohammad Safeer Bhat of Cherigam Pahalgam, Bilal Ahmad Shah of Wagoor Dooru, Shah Danish of Achabal, Azad Hussain of Shopian, Abdul Hamid Mouchi of Arwani and Haseeb Ahmad Gania of Batpora Anantnag were killed in security forces action against protesters in South Kashmir.
In a bid to control the situation, authorities imposed curfew at various places across Kashmir valley as separatist leaders including chairman Hurriyat conference Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq besides JKLF chief Yaseen Malik and DeM chief Asiya Andrabi has called shutdown till Monday.
The normal life remained disrupted in entire Kashmir as shops, business establishments remained closed and traffic was off the road. The annual Amarnath Yatra remained suspend and large number of Yatris and tourists are stranded in Srinagar and many other places in Kashmir.
Despite strict curfew, reports of clashes were received from many places in the Valley including Anantnag, Kulgam, Kokernag, Qoimoh, Awantipora, Shopian, Tral, Chanapora Bypass, Lalpora and Takipora.
At Ashmuqam, a group of protesters attacked the residence of SDPO and later set it on fire. At Hassanpora Arwani area of Bijbehara, a group of youth attacked SOG camp and tried to set it on fire. However, timely action by forces prevented the buildings from gutting. They later dispersed the protesters. At Soibugh in district Budgam, a police post was torched by the protesters. Railway Station Bijbehara and a Fisheries office at Akad in Ashmuqam were also set ablaze by the angry protesters. At Lolab in Kupwara a group of protesters set on fire a bunker of SOG.
A police spokesman said this evening that the situation in Valley remained under control today though incidents of arson and mob attacks were reported.
“The incidents of stone pelting were reported from Newa Pulwama, Main Town Shopian, Lasipora, Rajpora, Hall Pulwama, Litter, Tahab Pulwama, Tanchibagh Pampore, Damhal, Sangam, Zainapora, Qoimoh, Yaripora, Behibagh Kulgam, Vailoo, Warpora Sopore, Tikipora Sogam, Lalpora Kupwara, Kanyal Bagh Baramulla, Armpora Sopore, Tarzoo, Batamaloo, Qamriya Ganderbal, Soibugh Budgam, Mirgund and Sheikhpora”, the spokesman said.
The spokesman said that during the law and order situations at Newa, Lasipora, Litter in Pulwama three persons Irfan Ahmad Malik of Newa, Gulzar Ahmad Pandit of Mohanpora Shopian and Fayaz Ahmad Waza of Litter Pulwama were injured and later succumbed to their injuries. “One police vehicle and some seized vehicles were set on fire at Lasipora Pulwama when the arsonists attacked the police post”, he said.
“Unruly mobs set on fire GRP Guard room and RPF Barrack at Bijbehara Railway Station, Police Post Damhal Khushipora. Unruly mob also set on fire a single storied structure at Soibugh Budgam from where earlier police post Soibugh used to function”, the spokesman said.
The spokesman said that hooligans pushed a Police vehicle along with the driver, Afroz Ahmad into the river Jhelum at Sangam resulting in death of the driver. “An unruly mob attacked Fire Services vehicle which was on way to Sangam on a call near Bijbehara. The call later proved to be a hoax. The vehicle was damaged in the said incident”, he said.
“It has been seen that in the garb of law and order situation, militants are firing and lobbing grenades on Police and CRPF personnel. Militants lobbed two grenades on CRPF deployed on law & order duties in Murran Chowk resulting in injuries to some CRPF personnel”, the spokesman said.
He added that in Shopian the vehicle of SP Shopian was fired upon and a grenade was also lobbed. “Militants also fired upon the police post Uttersu”, he said.
“A number of police establishments and camps were also attacked during the day resulting in damage to the property and injuries to scores of police and CRPF personnel”, the spokesman said.
A cop was injured after he was shot at by gunmen in Tral area of South Kashmir district Pulwama today.
A police officer said that Abdul Gani, a constable, posted at police station Saddar who was on leave was fired upon by unknown gunman outside his residence Laam village of Tral. “In firing incident Gani sustained leg injury and was immediately hospitalized”, the official said. A case has been registered and further investigations have been taken up in this regard, he said.
Meanwhile, police today said it would like to avoid the killing of the youth and urged protesters not to resort to violence, saying it does not bring the right consequences.
Additional Director General of Police (CID) S M Sahai again urged people to restrain their youngsters from participating in the protests that have erupted in the aftermath of the killing of Burhan Wani on Friday.
“The situation as of now is better than yesterday. At some places, people have come out and we are dealing with it. We would like to control the situation to avoid the killings of the youth,” he said.
Insisting that that violence does not bring the right consequences, Sahai urged people to restrain youngsters from violent protests and confine them to homes.
“Whether they have to protest or not, but they should not resort to violence.It does not have right consequences,” he said.
Sahai defended the use of force which resulted in civilian casualties, saying the security posts were attacked by the unruly mobs.
“Militants fired upon security personnel from among the crowd. Weapon-snatching was also reported. Some of our personnel were injured,” the police official said.
He admitted that police had been unable to anticipate the areas of trouble after the killing of the militant commander.
“We admit that our focus was not on some areas. We are are seeing how it happened,” he said.
“We faced trouble from the outline areas. Government buildings, police stations, and army camps were attacked in the areas we least expected trouble,” he said, adding the areas police expected trouble were put under control.
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