With one more youth succumbing to injuries, toll in Pulwama clashes reaches two

 

SRINAGAR:  With the death of one more youth who was injured allegedly in security force firing on demonstrators in Pulwama, the death toll has risen to two and about 10 others are wounded.

       However, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir Range, Munir Ahmad Khan regretting the death of civilians, reiterated his appeal to people to stay away from site where encounters are taking place between security forces and militants.

         Akeel Ahmad Bhat, succumbed in the SKIMS this morning. He was admitted to S K Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) in a critical condition after he was injured when security forces opened fire and used pellets to disperse demonstrators who were trying to march towards Hakripora, Newa in Pulwama, where two Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) militants, including most-wanted Abu Dujana, were killed yesterday.

       Yesterday, Firdous Ahmad Khan was killed in the security force firing and over ten others were wounded during demonstrations.

      Both the factions of the Hurriyat Conference (HC) and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) have called for a general strike today to protest the security force action.

         IGP  Khan said the authorities have time and again appealed to people not to march towards the area where encounters between militants and security forces are taking place.

    However, he warned that anti-militancy operations will continue whether there are ”protests or no protests” and  “stone pelting or no stone pelting”. People will have to stay away from encounter site for their safety, he said.          About 12 civilians died and scores injures in security force firing on demonstrators near encounter sites during the past about six months in the Kashmir valley, where a new trend has emerged as people are taking to streets immediately after security force launch operation against militants. (AGENCIES)