Four persons were injured in a police action and several incidents of stone pelting were reported from various parts of Kashmir, even as authorities on Thursday eased strict restrictions on the movement of the people in the valley.
Four people were injured in Pampore in Pulwama district when police fired teargas shells and resorted to lathicharge to chase away agitators, who had blocked the national highway at Kadabal to protest the arrest of a local youth and demanding his release, officials said.
Incidents of stone pelting were also reported from nearly a dozen places in the city including Tengpora, Batmaloo, Safakadal, Habbakadal, Soura, Bemina, Eidgah, Sakidafar, Rambagh and Noorbagh.
In Rambagh on Srinagar-airport road, women came out on the road and pelted stones on some government vehicles. Police and paramilitary forces deployed in the area chased them away but they regrouped and shouted slogans.
Meanwhile, after days of strict restrictions on their movement, the residents of interior Srinagar came out of their houses as police and paramilitary personnel were withdrawn.
They staged peaceful sit-in at several places and even offered midday prayers on the roads in response to a two-day strike call given by hardline faction of Hurriyat Conference.
Peaceful sit-in protests were also staged at other parts in the valley including Budgam, Baramulla, Anantnag, Kupwara and Pulwama.
At Kadipora in Anantnag district, residents staged a day-long protest demanding removal of security camp manned by ’ikhwanis’ (surrendered militants associated with security forces).
They alleged that the ‘ikhwanis’ have made lives of the locals miserable with their “misbehaviour“.
Police said policemen would replace the Ikhwanis soon.
Shops, business establishments and educational institutions remained closed and public transport was off the roads in Srinagar.
Kashmir valley was on boil since June 11 when a teenaged boy allegedly died in teargas shelling by police in downtown Srinagar. The subsequent protests led to the killing of 14 more persons including a girl, prompting the authorities to clamp curfew in entire valley on July six. However, the curfew was lifted after a week but strict restrictions were placed on the movement of the people in most parts of Srinagar.
