In Kashmir, 49 hurt in mob-CRPF clashes
A mob on Saturday fought pitched battles with the CRPF at Khudwani, in southern Kulgam district, and neighbouring Qazigund, the gateway to the Kashmir Valley from the south. The CRPF reportedly opened fire, injuring four protesters, reports said.
Clashes and protests were reported also from Humhama (Srinagar), Dooru (Kulgam), Watpora (Bandipore) and Kangan (Ganderbal). However, overall they were not as intense as witnessed on Friday.
Officials said on Friday as many as 49 local police and CRPF personnel were injured in mob violence; the highest number of 35 injured reported from Kulgam. Ten civilians were also injured, they added. The police said 31 police and CRPF personnel and eight civilians were injured in clashes at various places in Pulwama, Baramulla, Kulgam, Bandipore, Budgam and Shopian districts on Saturday. The police and CRPF deployment “exercised maximum restraint”, it said, adding all those injured are “stable”.
The Amarnath yatra from Jammu resumed on Saturday evening. A convoy of pilgrims was allowed to move towards Pahalgam and Baltal base camps in the Kashmir Valley and additional CRPF and police contingents have been deployed along the Jammu-Srinagar highway to ensure its smooth passage, officials said.
Meanwhile, the authorities have announced that following an improvement in the law and order situation there will be no curfew in Srinagar on Sunday. However, police and CRPF will remain deployed in large numbers in sensitive areas of the summer capital, they said.
Also, the Srinagar-Jammu highway, closed on Thursday following widespread protests, was reopened for vehicular traffic. Earlier, curfew was lifted from the highway town of Ramban and its neighbourhood. Neighbouring Banihal witnessed fresh protests on Saturday following which police and CRPF reinforcements enforced strict security restrictions, a report said. The anger is widespread and has reached Kargil town of Ladakh also where a shutdown was observed Saturday in response to a call issued by a local religious group.
The BSF has strongly denied its men indulged in any sacrilegious act at a local Islamic seminary and insists it opened fire in “self-defence” as violent crowds tried to storm its camp at Dharam, Ramban district.
While uninterrupted curfew remained in force in Srinagar and other major towns of the Valley, restrictions under CrPC Section 144, which does not permit assembly of four or more persons, have been imposed in the rest of the Valley and neighbouring areas of Ramban town. Roads and streets have been barricaded by laying concertina wire and placing police and CRPF “bunker vehicles” in their middle.
J&K director-general of police Ashok Prasad said curfew and other security restrictions would remain in place till Sunday evening in view of the separatists’ call for shutdowns and protests for three days beginning Friday.
The government has apologised to the families of the slain residents.
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