Cop dies as mob pushes vehicle into Jhelum in Anantnag
Srinagar, July 10:A police cop and five protestors were killed in fresh spate of clashes between security forces and protesters on Sunday, while four others succumbed to injuries received during protests on Saturday, taking the toll in the violent protests that Kashmir valley has been witnessing since Friday's killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant commander Burhan Wani to 21, officials said.
Amarnath Yatra today remained suspended for the second day owing to the unrest in the valley taking the death toll to 21 and over 200 people, many of them police and security personnel, have been injured. The Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet, headed by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, met and expressed anguish over the situation and the death of civilians in clashes with security forces following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.
An SoS call received said the local mob attacked the large Bhandara (Free Community Meal for Pilgrims) organized by an NGO of Ambala and put it on fire. The organisers and volunteer ran for their lives. The mob first ransacked the temporary structure and then burnt it. The Shiva idol placed at Bhandara site was smashed to the ground in the middle of the road. All efforts to get confirmation from the district administration of Anantnag failed.
Sources said one civilian, identified as Irfan Ahmed Malik, was killed in south Kashmir's Pulwama district on Sunday morning in fresh firing that took place when a group of youth tried to defy curfew restrictions in Muran Pulwama, nearly 45 km from Srinagar, while another civilian died in Shopian.
A senior official identified the four who died on Sunday as Haseeb Ganai of Batpora, Imtiyaz Mandoo of Nandpora in Anantnag district, Mashooq Ahmad of Qazigund in Kulgam district and Altaf Rather of Rajpora in Pulwama district.
The death toll may increase further as condition of many injured is stated to be critical, he said.
The government promised to investigate if there was any instance of disproportionate use of force by security forces even as it appealed to the people not to become tools in the machinations of instigators of violence.
The Cabinet also appealed to separatists, including Hurriyat Conference, as well as mainstream political parties like National Conference, Congress and CPI(M) to help restore normalcy “if they want peace in the state”. In Delhi, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the situation that has developed in Kashmir and spoke to Mehbooba Mufti, assuring her of all possible help.
The state police also urged protesters not to resort to violence, saying it does not bring the right consequences, and that it would like to avoid the killing of the youth. Even as curfew-like restrictions remained in force, violence was reported from a number of places.
In another incident, a head constable of police was shot in both legs by militants last night at his residence in Tral area of Pulwama district, the official said. Three policemen, who went missing after a large mob attacked a police station in Damhal Hanjipora yesterday, are still untraceable, state Education Minister Naeem Akhtar said.
Mob pushes police vehicle into Jhelum
A policeman was killed in Kashmir's Anantnag district after protesters pushed a mobile police bunker of the state police into the Jhelum River.
“A crowd pushed a mobile police bunker into the Jhelum near Sangam in which a cop was killed,” J&K government spokesman Naeem Akhtar, said in Srinagar.
He said three policemen were still missing from south Kashmir.
Three police men have been missing after Damhal Hanjipore Police Station was attacked by the protesters on Saturday.
Amid tension between the protesters and security forces, three hand grenades were hurled at the CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir Police on Sunday evening. The grenade attack injured four security personnel. However one of the grenades did not explode.
Eleven civilians were killed and over 200 protesters and police men were injured in the day-long clashes that took place mostly in south Kashmir on Saturday, when Wani was laid to rest in his home town Tral in south Kashmir's Pulwama district. Tens of thousands attended his funeral. Most of the killings took place in police and paramilitary CRPF firing.
Kashmir continues to remain on boil for the second consecutive day on Sunday as curfew has been imposed in parts of south Kashmir and Srinagar to maintain law and order situation.
Curfew has been imposed in south Kashmir's Anantnag, Kulgam, Tral, Pampore, Awantipore that witnessed violent clashes yesterday.
In Srinagar, curfew continued to remain imposed in old city areas and volatile Maisuama localities.
Mobile Internet services in the region continued to remain blocked. Amarnath yatra, which was suspended from Jammu yesterday, also remained suspended.
Train services in Kashmir also remain suspended for the second consecutive day.
PTI adds: Meanwhile, the separatist-sponsored strike, which was extended for two more days yesterday, also affected normal life across the Valley.
Shops, private offices, business establishments and petrol pumps were shut, while government offices and banks witnessed thin attendance, officials said.
They said public transport was completely off the roads, while cars and auto-rickshaws were seen plying at few places where there were no restrictions.
Educational institutions in the Valley were closed on account of the ongoing summer vacations.
The separatist groups yesterday extended the strike to protest the killings of civilians in alleged firing by security forces.
Meanwhile, Central University of Kashmir (CUK), Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) and Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE) have postponed the examinations due to the prevailing situation in the Valley.
“IUST has also postponed all the examinations scheduled for July 11 and 12. New dates will be notified separately,” an official of the university said.
The Board of School Education (Kashmir division) has postponed the entire Examination of Class 11 regular (term Ist) 2016, a BOSE spokesman said. He said a revised date sheet shall be issued later on.
A police handout said that situation in Valley remained under control today though incidents of arson and mob attacks were reported. The incidents of stone pelting were reported from Newa Pulwama, Main Town Shopian, Lasipora, Rajpora, Hall Pulwama, Litter, Tahab Pulwama, Tanchibagh Pampore, Damhal, Sangam, Zainapora, Qoimoh, Yaripora, Behibagh Kulgam, Vailoo, Warpora Sopore, Tikipora Sogam, Lalpora Kupwara, Kanyal Bagh Baramulla, Armpora Sopore, Tarzoo, Batamaloo, Qamriya Ganderbal, Soibugh Budgam, Mirgund, and Sheikpora.
During the law and order situations at Newa, Lasipora, Litter in Pulwama three persons namely Irfan Ahmad Malik R/o Newa, Gulzar Ahmad Pandit R/o Mohanpora Shopian and Fayaz Ahmad Waza R/o Litter Pulwama got injured and later on succumbed to their injuries. One Police vehicle and some seized vehicles were set on fire at Lasipora Pulwama when the arsonists attacked the Police Post.
Unruly mobs set on fire GRP Guard room and RPF Barrack at Bijbehara Railway Station, Police Post Damhal Khushipora. Unruly mob also set on fire a single storied structure at Soibugh Budgam from where earlier Police Post Soibugh used to function. Hooligans pushed a Police vehicle along with the driver, Afroz Ahmad into the river Jhelum at Sangam resulting in death of the driver. An unruly mob attacked Fire Services vehicle which was on way to Sangam on a call near Bijbehara. The call later proved to be a hoax. The vehicle was damaged in the said incident.
It has been seen that in the garb of law & order situations militants are firing and lobbing grenades on Police and CRPF personnel. Militants lobbed two grenades on CRPF deployed on law & order duties in Murran Chowk resulting in injuries to some CRPF personnel. In Shopian the vehicle of SP Shopian was fired upon and a grenade was also lobbed. Militants also fired upon the Police Post Uttressu.
A number of Police establishments and camps were also attacked during the day resulting in damage to the property and injuries to scores of Police and CRPF personnel. (With inputs from Agencies)
