Twelve people, including three policemen, were on Friday injured in fresh clashes in Kashmir valley as authorities brought entire Srinagar district under curfew ahead of a proposed march by separatists tomorrow.
Police lobbed teargas shells to disperse stone-pelting protesters in several areas in curfew-bound Srinagar, Baramulla, Budgam, Kupwara and Pulwama, leaving 12 people, including three policemen injured, police said. The protests were against the death of some youths last month allegedly in firing by security forces.
One of the injured identified as Gulzar Ahmad Khuroo, a resident of Chinkipora, was admitted to Bone and Joints hospital here after allegedly being hit by a teargas shell while taking part in a demonstration in the outskirts of Sopore town.
There was no relaxation in curfew in Sopore and Baramulla towns in North Kashmir and Mattan, Bijbehara, Dooru, Kokernag, Achhabal in Anantnag, Qaimoh in Kulgam and Pulwama town in south Kashmir.
A police spokesman said the Sopore town also witnessed a clash between a stone—pelting mob and law enforcing agencies last night.
“A group of 10 to 15 youths started stone pelting at a police party in the main Chowk. All of a sudden, militants who were hiding among the stone pelters fired at the police party,” the spokesman said, adding no one was hurt in the incident.
Police sources said the people defied curfew and staged demonstration at Anchidoora in Anantnag town, 55 kms from here.
With overnight protests in the city and an abortive attempt by activists of a woman separatist outfit to take out a march to Pather Masjid in defiance of curfew yesterday, District Magistrate, Srinagar, Mehraj Ahmad Kakroo announced imposition of curfew in the entire district this morning in a television address.
Curfew was imposed in seven police station areas in the old city on June 28 following violence.
The step to extend curfew was taken ahead of the separatists’ plan to organise a march to Eidgah graveyard, police said. The march call has been given by hardline faction of Hurriyat Conference headed by jailed leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani.
Additional contingents of police and paramilitary forces have been deployed to strictly enforce the curfew.
The Eidgah ground has been sealed by police and paramilitary forces with barbed wires. Armoured vehicles have been stationed around it to prevent people from assembling there.
