At least 20 persons, including 12 policemen, were injured on Friday as security forces opened fire on a mob which hit the streets defying curfew and allegedly hurled stones at a police post and a security camp in Kakapora area of Pulwama district of South Kashmir.
The trouble started shortly after Friday prayers when people, defying curfew, came out on the roads in the town, 25 km from here and started demonstrating, official sources said.
The police and security forces prevented them, which further angered the protestors who then pelted a police post and a nearby security camp with stones.
The security forces lobbed teargas shells to disperse the angry protestors but when the mob did not relent, they opened fire, injuring eight protestors who were later admitted to a nearby hospital.
Police said 12 of their men, including a DSP and a Duty Officer (DO) Kakapora were injured in the incident.
In view of the curfew, Friday prayers could not be offered in major mosques and shrines across the valley.
However, official sources said Friday prayers were offered at Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar, where a small group of locals managed to come.
