J&K unrest: Over 500 cases against 'rioters, anti-national elements'

Srinagar: Over 500 cases have been lodged against "rioters and anti-national elements" in the four districts of south Kashmir in the last 44 days, with 381 "miscreants" arrested, officials said on Tuesday.

"All the police stations and posts in south Kashmir (comprising Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama and Shopian districts) are fully functional and are working round-the-clock, along with the other security agencies, to bring the situation under control.

"In the last 44 days, the police have registered 537 cases against rioters and anti-national elements. As many as 381 miscreants have been arrested and several rioters injured in police and security forces action while controlling the law-and-order situation," a government spokesman said here. He said the state police has remained at the forefront while dealing with the situation.

"Police have risen to the occasion and faced the challenges with tremendous restraint, despite grave provocations in the form of mobs attacking their establishments, vehicles and personnel," the spokesman said.

Refuting reports of militant training camps being run in the Valley, he said, "There is a very high concentration of security forces at Tral due to the ongoing problems and there is no input regarding any terrorist training camp being run."

Kashmir is on the boil since July 9, a day after Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, a resident of Tral, was killed along with two of his associates, in an encounter with the security forces at Kokernag area of south Kashmir.

The ensuing widespread clashes between protesters and law enforcing agencies have left 65 persons dead so far and over 8,000 injured, mostly in the districts of south Kashmir.