Almost all major cities and towns of Kashmir Valley were placed under strict curfew overnight to hold back a “freedom rally” called by the separatists at Srinagar’s Idgah prayer grounds on Friday.
Not only was Idgah sealed by laying concentra barbed wire and armoured police and CRPF vehicles criss-crossed the roads leading to the place, entire Srinagar was placed under curfew with thousands of police and Central paramilitaries out to enforce the restrictions.
Non-stop curfew not only continued to be in force in ten other towns of the Valley which had witnessed escalation in protests and violence in an upshot to the killing of eleven youth in CRPF and police fittings past fortnight but was extended to new areas. The authorities justified the curbs saying these are part of the government’s “preventive measure” aimed at ensuring no further harm comes to life and property of the people. Chief minister Omar Abdullah reiterated that the security forces have been issued strict restrictions to exercise restraint while dealing with agitating crowds.
Reports said that riot police fired teargas canisters and also rifle shots over the heads of a huge curfew-defying crowd marching towards Srinagar from north-western town of Sopore, 48-km from here. Sopore with southern Anantnag was worst hit by the recent turbulence. Such face-offs were reported also from Krankashivan locality deep inside Sopore and various areas in Srinagar, Kupwara, Pulwama, Baramulla and Budgam districts leaving about 130 people injured. Among them are 28 CRPF and police personnel and a woman resident, police and hospital sources said. In most cases, curfew violations took place after Friday prayers at locality mosques but no such weekly congregations could be held at Srinagar’s Grand Mosque or other major wayside mosques.
However, a procession of several thousands taken out in Anantnag dispersed peacefully after the participants’ paying a visit to the town’s Sher-i-Kashmir Colony were shot dead.