Kashmir continues to bleed: One killed, at least 30 injured during fresh protests
SRINAGAR: Parts of Kashmir Valley on Tuesday witnessed fresh protests and violent clashes, leaving, at least, one person dead and more than 30 people injured.
One protester was killed and another wounded in security forces’ firing on a mob which allegedly attacked a police station in frontier Kupwara district. Also, one of the three protesters injured in police firing in the highway town of Bijbehara on Monday succumbed in a Srinagar hospital overnight.
With the latest casualties, the toll in days of mayhem triggered by the killing of Burhan Muzaffar Wani, the new-age poster-boy of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir, in an encounter with security forces on July 8 has risen to 32.
Among them is a police driver Afroz Ahmed killed when an irate crowd pushed the vehicle he was driving into Jhelum outside Srinagar on Saturday.
Police sources said that one person identified as Zahoor Ahmad Sheikh was killed and another wounded when security forces opened fire on a mob which targeted a police station at Kralapora in frontier district of Kupwara on Tuesday afternoon. A statement issued by the police here said the mob also torched a police vehicle trapping some policemen inside.
“While dealing with the incident one person was injured who later on succumbed to his injuries,” it added. A report said the second youth has also succumbed to his injuries in hospital but the authorities here said they have not received any such report from the counterparts in Kupwara.
Earlier, Amir Nazir Latoo, a student of Delhi University (DU), who was among three people critically injured in police firing at Zirpora in the highway town of Bijbehara on Monday died in a Srinagar hospital overnight. Amir, who was pursuing M.Com at DU, had come to Kashmir to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr with his family.
A report from southern Pulwama district said that a mob barged into the house of one police official Muhammad Ashraf and thrashed his wife and daughter.
The victims have been hospitalised.
Mehbooba Mufti: Violence begets nothing
Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, on Tuesday discussed the prevailing situation and other important issues with Governor, N.N. Vohra, at an hour-long meeting held at the Raj Bhavan here.
She has in a Kashmir martyrs’ day eve message said that J&K police and the paramilitary forces have been asked to exercise maximum restrain to avoid loss of lives or grievous injuries to protesters.
“Security forces were told to exhibit restraint while dealing with protests. It is sad that despite taking all measures lives were lost", she said promising “Incidents where security personnel have acted harshly and have used excess force will be investigated and dealt with.”
She once again sought the cooperation of the people in restoration of peace and normalcy. Blaming vested interests for the unrest, Ms Mufti appealed to the parents not to allow anybody to play with the future of their children as she asserted that violence does not achieve anything but only results in bloodshed.
