Protests in Kashmir, Kargil over Hezbollah leader’s killing

Srinagar: Several parts of the Kashmir Valley and Kargil erupted on Saturday evening after the Hezbollah movement confirmed its leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah was assassinated by Israel in an aerial attack on his headquarters in Lebanese capital on Friday.

Irate crowds of mainly Shia Muslims took to the streets in Kashmiri capital Srinagar and several other parts of the Valley including Budgam, Magam, Dalina, Yachgam and Mirgund, chanting slogans against Israel and American.

Carrying black flags, Alams (a standard or flagpole in Islamic culture) and photographs of the slain leader, thousands of people including women and children marched along the streets in Srinagar’s Zadibal, Hassan Abad, Sayeda Kada’l, Chattabal, Pandrethan, Mir Behri, Shalimar and some other areas and other towns to protest and mourn the death of Sayyed Nasrallah. One of the slogans they were chanting said, “Tere khoon se inquiab aayega (your blood will give birth to a revolution).” Many women and children were crying and men were seen kissing the portraits of Sayyed Nasrullah, the witnesses said.

A huge procession was taken out in predominantly Shia town of Kargil, a report said. The local political, religious and social organisation have in a joint statement called for a shut down in Kargil and neighbouring areas on Sunday.

National Conference (NC) leader Lok Sabha member from Srinagar Syed Aga Ruhullah Mehdi, who was campaigning for his party candidates in the frontier districts of Kupwara, Baramulla and Bandipore which with four districts of the Jammu region will go to voting in the third and last phase of the J&K Assembly elections on October 1, suspended his campaign. He wrote on ‘X’, “Calling off my campaign.”

Former chief minister and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti also suspended her next day’s election campaign.

“Cancelling my campaign (Sunday) in solidarity with the martyrs of Lebanon & Gaza, especially Hassan Nasrullah. We stand with the people of Palestine & Lebanon in this hour of immense grief & exemplary resistance,” she posted on ‘X’.

Kashmir’s chief Muslim cleric and chairman of separatist Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Umar Farooq while paying tribute to the Hezbollah leader said, “Martyrs don’t die!”.

As the tensions are heightening, the official sources here said that security is being beefed up further across the Kashmir Valley, Jammu city and in some parts of the Rajouri-Poonch region to ensure peace