After 98 days, pre-paid mobile phones start ringing in Valley

But, restrictions on the assembly of people under Section 144 CrPc were in force throughout the Valley.

The authorities restored pre-paid cellular telephony in Kashmir Valley on Saturday, after a 98-day-long suspension in the wake of civilian unrest sparked by militant commander Burhan Wani’s killing on July 8. A police spokesman said the services were restored Friday night “with the improvement in the situation.”

The move brought relief to more than 20 lakh subscribes in this segment. However, the ban on the mobile Internet services remain in force.

Meanwhile, fresh violence left scores of civilians and security forces injured in south Kashmir, as curfew was completely lifted from the Valley. However, separatists’ shutdown call continued to paralyse normal life.

The police spokesman said 38 police and CRPF personnel were injured in south Kashmir’s Shopian districts. Four vehicles of the security forces were also damaged.

“On a tip-off about militants’ presence, the security forces cordoned off Shopian’s Urpora-Nagbal area in the morning. However, miscreants in large numbers assembled and pelted stones. Private vehicles were damaged in the stone-pelting. The security forces exercised maximum restraint,” said the police spokesman.

Locals, however, accuse the forces of barging into houses, damaging vehicles and beating up civilians. A civilian was hospitalised after sustaining grave injuries in limbs, according to locals.

The house of Hurriyat’s Kulgam district president, Muhammad Shaban, was also raided by the forces, leading to clashes and injuries.

Tributes to jawan Senior police officers and Director-General Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) Archana Ramasundaram on Saturday paid tributes to SSB jawan Ganshyam Gujjar, who was killed in a militant attack on a convoy near Srinagar’s Zakura area on Friday.

Militant outfit Al-Umar Mujahideen claimed responsibility of the attack, which left seven security personnel also injured. An injured policeman’s condition is said to be critical.

“We will continue to target Indian security personnel operating in Kashmir valley,” warned Al-Umar’s chief Mushtaq Zargar.

The police have initiated a probe into the goods missing from the Entrepreneur Development Institute (EDI) complex in Pampore, which witnessed a 58-hour-long encounter between two holed-up militants and security forces earlier this week.

Sources said several LCDs, computers, mattresses and blankets were found missing after the encounter was called off by the security forces.