Kashmir situation worsen, 3 killed and 180 injured in clashes

17 injured in CRPF, police firing
SRINAGAR/ANANTNAG: The fragile situation in Kashmir worsened further today with three more persons including two teenaged boys getting killed in CRPF and police firing at Amargarh- Sopore and Pattan. The men in uniform also opened fire at Chanapora and Tral.

Seventeen persons, who received bullet wounds in these firing incidents were hospitalized.

Police had to fire in air and burst smoke shells and resort to lathi-charge to disperse protestors at different other places in Kashmir. The protestors retaliated by pelting stones. In the subsequent clashes nearly 180 persons were injured. The people set ablaze some portion of police station Pattan and three police vehicles and also attacked five police stations and SOG camps in different parts of valley.

The authorities had imposed curfew in Srinagar city and most parts of valley last night to foil the protests and "Maisuma Chalo" march programme by Hurriyat Conference (G) today. The faction had asked the people in Srinagar to march towards Maisuma locality.

Despite the curfew restrictions massive protest demonstrations were held at several places in the valley from North to South and Central Kashmir.

The day began with CRPF opening fire at Chanapora. In the firing a youth Muhammad Iqbal Khan was critically injured when a bullet hit his head. Seven others also sustained injuries in the incident. The local people alleged that in the morning when they came out of their houses the CRPF without any provocation beat them and resorted to indiscriminate firing. They added that while they were removing the injured to hospital the CRPF fired smoke shells and resorted to lathi-charge.
Iqbal was removed to Soura medical institute where his condition is stated to be critical. He has been put on a ventilator.

As the news about the Chanapora firing spread in the Civil Lines area of Srinagar, announcements were made on the loudspeakers of the mosques and people were asked to come out of their houses and hold protest demonstrations. Within a short time, large number of people took to streets at Chanpora, Natipora, Rambagh, Barzulla, Baghat, Solina, Hyderpora and some other areas. They held demonstrations and police and CRPF burst smoke shells to disperse them. The protestors pelted stones on the men in uniform, who fired in air to bring the situation under control.

Amid the clashes, announcements were being repeatedly made by police regarding imposition of curfew and people asked not to defy the curfew. But despite the attempts by police and CRPF the protests and clashes continued.

After the Friday prayers, reports of protests started pouring in from different places of the valley. At Amargarh, Sopore CRPF opened fire. Reports said that 12 persons received bullet injuries. Some of the seriously injured were rushed to Srinagar hospitals. Doctors at SMHS declared 17-year old Showkat Ahmad Wagay and 45-year old Muhammad Ahsan Ganie dead. Medical superintendent SMHS Dr Waseem Qureshi said they were brought dead to the hospital. Shabir Ahmad and another youth were seriously injured in the firing. Some other persons who were injured in the incident were identified as Muhammad Shafi Ganie, Abdul Hamid Bhat, Showkat Ahmad Chopan, Shabir Ahmad Rather, Abdul Hamid Bhat and Farooq Ahmad Ganie. The inured said that they were holding peaceful protest demonstrations and that the firing by CRPF was unprovoked.

Police has registered a murder case in police station Sopore against the troopers of CRPF 177 battalion for opening fire and killing of two persons.
As the news about the Amargarh firing spread in Sopore and Baramulla, people took to streets and held demonstrations. Demonstrations were also held at Pattan.
The men in uniform opened fire and injured four persons Rameez Ahmad Mian, Moshooq Ahmad, Omar Rashid and Muhammad Rafiq Bhat. 14-year Rafiq later died due to bullet wounds. Police claimed that the incident occurred when the protestors from Hanjiveera and Sangipora attacked the police station Pattan with stones. They alleged that the violent protestors broke the main gate of the police station, set ablaze a police vehicle there. They tried to set ablaze the police station.

The CRPF and cops resorted to firing, teargas shelling and lathi-charge. Over 100 persons were injured in the CRPF and police action. Reports said that a number of them were having bullet wounds. As the injured were admitted in sub-district hospital Pattan, the CRPF attacked the hospital, ransacked it, beat the patients and medical staff. Some persons alleged that Muhammad Rafiq had received a bullet in the firing but CRPF chased him and fired when he was being removed to hospital resulting in his death.

At Patukshah Sopore, the protestors attacked the police post and made the cops hostage and also set ablaze two police vehicles.

Reports from Kreeri said that thousands of people took to streets demanding the release of 21-year old youth Syed Farhat Bashir Bukhari. The people said that he was arrested by police last evening along with others but the cops did not confirm his arrest. After Friday prayers the people again held demonstrations at Kreeri demanding the release of Farhat. The cops fired in air, burst smoke shells and resorted to lathi-charge. The protestors pelted stones on the old police station building housing the joint camp of CRPF and SOG. Over 15 persons injured in the police actions and six of them were women.

Reports from Baramulla said that people attacked the local police station with stones. Police used force to disperse them.

Amid curfew and severe restrictions imposed by the authorities in almost all the major townships of south Kashmir, people took to roads and staged pro-freedom protests at various places.

Violent clashes broke out between the police and protestors in many townships of the region like Tral, Anantnag and Shopian. Police resorted to firing, teargas shelling and cane charge to quell the protesting people. At least three dozen people were injured in police and CRPF firing and teargassing.

In Tral thousands of people after the Friday prayers assembled outside Khankah-i-Faizpanah and took out a pro-freedom procession. Eyewitnesses said that as the processionists started marching ahead peacefully, the policemen deployed in the area resorted to firing, intense teargas shelling and lathi-charge to stop them from marching ahead. At least 32 persons were wounded in police action. Two youth Bilal Ahmad Khan and Naseer Ahmad, who received bullet injuries were shifted to SMHS where their condition was stated to be critical.

Others who were injured after being hit by teargas shells or in lathi-charge were admitted in Tral hospital. The police action, eyewitnesses said, triggered fierce clashes between the police and protestors.

Though the authorities moved additional contingents of police and CRPF failed to bring the situation under control, as the eyewitnesses said, angry protestors showed tough resistance. People alleged that the SHO Tral ordered the police to open fire on them as they were peacefully marching ahead.
Till late this evening thousands of people were raising pro-freedom slogans from the loud speakers of Khankah and other Masjids.

In Shopian thousands of people after the Friday prayers took out a procession. The processionists amid pro-freedom and anti-India slogans marched through the various streets of the town.

As the processionists reached near Tak Masjid, eyewitnesses said, the policemen resorted to teargas shelling to quell them. This infuriated the protestors who in retaliation pelted stones at police. Two youth were injured during clashes one after being hit by a teargas shell.

The angry youth later attacked the DC office Shopian, smashed its windows and ransacked the furniture. They, according to eyewitnesses, also pulled out the iron gate of the DC office.

In Bijbehara, thousands of people after the Friday prayers took out a procession. The processionists raising pro-freedom slogans "marched through the streets of the town and along the highway. On reaching near Padshahibagh the processionists snatched and broke the camera of a CRPF man after seeing him taking pictures of youth leading the procession with his camera. They also beat and tore off the uniform of two policemen near Pazalpora.

Later in the evening hundreds of youth took to roads, organized themselves in various groups and engaged the police and CRPF men in clashes. The police burst numerous tear smoke shells to disperse them.

The youth, eyewitnesses said, attacked the gypsy of SHO Bijbehara with stones and bricks causing a complete damage to its glasses.
Reports of protests and clashes were recieved from Kakpora and Anantnag in the evening after the restrictions were eased.

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