Srinagar and Baramulla witnessed renewed clashes between irate crowds, protesting against what they alleged is Israeli aggression against Palestinians, and the riot police on Friday, leaving several persons injured.
The police fired in the air, burst teargas canisters and swung bamboo sticks to break up the protests at half a dozen places.
Also, more than a dozen Shia mourners were injured whereas about 50 others were arrested by the police in a separate clash occurred in Srinagar’s Batamalloo area. Earlier, hundreds of gun-wielding policemen had fanned out to enforce strict security restrictions in parts of Jammu and Kashmir’s summer capital to thwart Muharram mourning processions by Shia Muslims.
Officials said the restrictions were imposed in areas falling under police stations of Maisuma, Shaheedgunj, Kothibagh and Kralkhud in uptown Srinagar to “maintain law and order”.
However, groups of Shia youth violated the restrictions by taking out tazia from Batamaloo, about 2 km from Guru Bazar, the traditional start-point of the mourning procession, and soon clashed with the police.
A Shia mourner set himself on fire but policemen quickly pounced on him and removed him from the scene in injured condition, witnesses said.