Day 20: Protests, clashes amid shutdown

Ehsan Fazili

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, July 28

Protest demonstrations leading to clashes in different areas of the city were held here today even as curfew restrictions were in place to maintain law and order on Day 20 of the prevailing unrest amid continued shutdown across the Valley.

There were also reports of clashes between the protesters and security forces in different areas of south Kashmir even as curfew and restrictions were enforced in major towns of Anantnag, Kulgam and Pulwama with a heavy deployment of security forces personnel in Shopian town. There were no untoward incidents from any area, though stray incidents of stone pelting and clashes in different areas were reported in some areas, officials here said.

These areas have witnessed widespread demonstrations and clashes between protesters and the security forces following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant commander Burhan Wani on July 8. At least 46 civilians and two police personnel have been killed and over 5,600 others have been injured in the trouble during the past about three weeks.

The administration is gearing up for the crucial Friday tomorrow in view of the separatist leaders’ joint call for a march towards the Jamia Masjid, Srinagar, to “pay tributes to those killed” during the prevailing unrest. Strict curfew restrictions are being imposed in all 10 districts of the Valley tomorrow to prevent the proposed march to Srinagar’s main mosque. No public and vehicular movement would be allowed except for essential services and ambulances tomorrow, the officials said.

Amid restrictions in downtown areas here, the protesters indulged in stone pelting and clashed with police personnel at different places, including Saidakadal and Kathidarwaza in Rainawari area, Baba Demb, Bemina and Tengpora areas. The police lobbed teargas shells to quell the demonstrators at different places. The intermittent clashes led to disruption of traffic movement along the periphery of the capital city. There were no reports of injuries to anyone till the filing of this report.

The police here said minor instances of stone pelting were reported from some places in the Valley. Except Anantnag town in south Kashmir, there were no restrictions in the Valley. “The situation throughout the Kashmir valley remained peaceful and under control,” the police spokesman said here this evening. There was no report of any untoward incident from anywhere in the Valley, he added.