Kashmir unrest: 2 more dead, over 200 injured; fresh protests break out

Srinagar: At least three persons were killed and over 200 people were injured, eight of them critically, in renewed clashes across Kashmir Valley on Friday.

Police identified one of the slain men as Muhammad Maqbool Wagay who was hit in the chest when the security forces opened fire to quell a violent protest in Chadoora area in the central district of Budgam. 37 others were also injured in the clash and seven of them who have sustained critical bullet or pellet injuries have been admitted to a Srinagar hospital.

Another person identified as 26-year-old Danish Rasool was killed in pellet gun fire at Wagoora in north-western town of Sopore. A third person, 21-year-old Sameer Ahmad Wani, was brought dead to Srinagar’s SMHS hospital from Khan Sahib area, also in Budgam, doctors said adding that he had a single bullet wound in the head.    

Officials said that scores of J&K police men and members of CRPF and other central forces were also injured in the clashes and stone-pelting incidents which were on in many areas across the Valley.  

The fresh incidents amid extended curfews occurred on a day when the Centre told the Supreme Court that the law and order situation in Kashmir Valley has improved considerably since the killing of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani with violent protests having gone down from 201 on July 9 to 11 on August 3.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah slammed the Centre for its claim of improved law and order situation.

"1 more unfortunate death, countless injuries today & the centre tells the Hon SC that 'things are improving'. Wow!!! he said on Twitter.

"Heart breaking & worrying in equal measure. At what point will the Centre (read Hon PM) wake up to the crisis here?," he asked, over reports of two more civilians killed.

Earlier on Friday afternoon, clashes erupted around Srinagar’s Hazratbal shrine as security forces in riot gear came in the way of huge crowds marching towards the revered place of worship on the western shore of the Dal Lake.

The security forces fired teargas canisters and exploded stun grenades in the middle of slogan-chanting crowds which emerged of various localities including Lal Bazaar, Sadar Bal, Malla Bagh and Naseem Bagh. Earlier people from many localities converged in an open field at Malla Bagh to offer Juma Namaz after the weekly congregational prayers were cancelled at locality mosques.

Soon after the prayers, they while chanting pro-freedom slogans marched towards Hazratbal but were intercepted by the riot police midway. J&K police and CRPF reinforcements arrived at the scene and fired dozens of teargas canisters and also exploded stun grenades to push the crowds back.  Amid loud sounds, the acrid tear smoke was ubiquitous as this correspondent was caught in the mêlée.

Similar clashes have been reported also from some other parts of the summer capital as people are making concerted efforts to relocate to Hazratbal in response to a call issued by an alliance of separatist parties as part of its extended calendar of protests and shutdowns.

Protests were held and/or clashes took place between the men in khaki and slogan-chanting surging crowds also in Sopore, Bandipore, Imam Sahib, Tral, Langaet,  Hajin and over a dozen other places within the Valley and in Jammu region in Banihal and Surankore areas, leaving scores injured, police sources here said. 

Separatist leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq were earlier arrested by police after they came out of their besieged houses in Srinagar’s Hyderpora and Nigeen areas respectively and began walking towards Hazratbal.

In order to foil the ‘Hazratbal Chalo’ call, the authorities clamped curfew across the Valley and fanned out police and paramilitary reinforcements at dawn to enforce the restrictions strictly. The roads leading to Hazratbal area were sealed by laying Concertina razor wire and placing ‘bunker’ vehicles in their middle. Friday congregational prayers were not allowed at Hazratbal and, on the fourth consecutive time, at Srinagar's historic Grand Mosque.

The Valley is on the boil since July 8 when security forces killed Burhan Muzaffar Wani, a top Internet-savvy commander of Hizb-ul-Mujahedin. During the four-week-old unrest more than fifty protesters and two policemen have been killed.

As the unrest has spread to some Muslim-majority areas of Jammu  with shutdowns and protest demonstrations being held in Banihal, Doda, Bhaderwah, Kishtwar and Rajouri towns, the authorities on Friday suspended Internet services available on mobile phones and through dongles in the region.

In the evening these services were restored in five districts of the region namely Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Reasi and Udhampur but remain snapped in five others-Kishtwar, Doda, Ramban, Rajouri and Poonch-all predominantly Muslim.