• Woman among 9 civilians succumb to injuries
• Massive clashes rock Valley; Air Force base, police stations, police posts attacked
• Cops fire at protestors at Shopian, Bijbehara, Tral, Tregham
• Life remains paralysed for 3rd day; Separatists remain caged
• CM, DGP review situation
• Hospital administrators reveal tragic details of wanton use of force
• DHSK sets up 24×7 helpline
Amir Latto a youth from Bijbehara succumbs taking the toll to 32 and counting…
Kashmir continues to be on boil as the death toll in the ongoing protests in the Valley triggered by killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani rose to 31 with nine persons including a woman succumbing to injuries on Monday.
The youth continued to fought pitched battles with police and paramilitary forces across the Valley and attacked Air Force base in Pulwama, police stations and police posts.
A woman identified as Yasmeena of Damhal Hanjipora area of Kulgam district in south Kashmir, who had sustained critical bullet injuries yesterday in police action, succumbed to injuries at SMHS hospital today.
Besides, eight other people, who had sustained injuries in police and paramilitary forces firing, also succumbed to injuries today.
The deceased were identified as Feroz Mir, Shahid Hussain Bhat, Zubair Khanday, Nazir Ahmed Sheikh and Mushatq Ahmed, all from Kulgam, Shahid Gulzar of Shopian, Abdul Rashid Kumhar of Pulwama and Bilal Ahmed Shah of Anantnag.
Massive protests rocked Shopian area, where forces used force to quell the mourners who had assembled to participate in the funeral of a 12-year old boy Shahid killed in forces firing on late Sunday evening.
The curfew remained in force in four districts of South Kashmir, parts of uptown and downtown Srinagar and other parts of the Valley.
“Curfew was imposed in all 10 districts in the Kashmir Valley, including Srinagar,” official sources said.
In Srinagar city, roads remained deserted and youth clashed with police and CRPF men at Maisuma, Amira Kadal, HMT, Nowgam, Maharaja Bazar, Batamaloo, Rambagh, Chanapora, Baghi Mehtab, Hyderpora, Humhama, Ompora, Barzulla, Budgam, old city areas of Nawpora, Rainawari, Nowhatta, Pantha Chowk, and other areas.
In Srinagar, situation was tense as people took to streets and the mosques were reverberating with pro-freedom and pro-Islamic slogans, a day after the death of youth Shabir Ahmad at Tengpora, Byepass Batamaloo in police firing.
The cops also fired at the protesters at Zirpora area of Bijbehara injuring two youth, who were later rushed to Srinagar hospital for treatment. One youth was shot in chest and another in abdomen.
There were reports that force personnel vandalized the SDH hospital Bijbehara. The doctors and patients in the hospital were beaten up by the cops and the hospital administration has taken up the incident with DC Pulwama.
The entire Kashmir is seething with rage as people have drawn out in large numbers on the roads to protest the killing of the HM commander, Burhan Wani, in an encounter with the forces on Friday evening and killing of civilians in security men’s firing.
The cops also resorted to intense aerial firing in Trehgam area of border district of Kupwara when locals defied curfew to stage protests against the civilian killings.
“The cops also used Pepper gas due to which elderly, women folk and children faced grave problems,” locals alleged.
An angry mob torched a Police Post at Fruit Mandi, Sopore. The cops immediately swung into action and resorted to massive teargas shelling to foil the mob.
Reports from Pulwama and Shopian said Litter Police Post, SIDCO Lassipora SOG Post and a new building which belongs to police were set ablaze by angry protesters.
In Shopian, eyewitnesses said, Army went on rampage in Zavoora area of Shopian and thrashed the villagers.
The locals informed Kashmir Post over phone that their property was vandalized and household goods were ransacked by the army.
A group of protesters pelted stones towards the air force airport at Koil in Pulwama this morning, a police official said. They also set afire the dry grass inside the airport complex.
Security men tried to chase away the mob. However, the mob regrouped and fought a pitched battle the security men. The clashes continued for some time.
Three persons were injured yesterday when forces opened fire to disperse a mob which was pelting stones at the air force base.
Tral, the home town of Burhan continued to remain on boil as fresh firing incident by cops was reported from the area today. The police opened fire at protestors at Lidyar (Tral) injuring 16 people. The injured were shifted to a local hospital.
Three injured persons from Bijbehara and Tral were referred to Srinagar hospitals for treatment and are said to be critical.
One youth identified as Aamir Latoo is said to be very critical. Latoo hails from Bijbehara.
Fresh firing was reported from Harwan Merakshah Shab late this evening. One person received bullet in head and is said to be critical.
Late evening firing incidents were also reported from Pulwama.
Authorities have increase presence of force personnel in vulnerable areas of the city and elsewhere in the valley to contain the protests, a police official said.
He said the restrictions were being enforced strictly to avoid any further loss of life or damage to property.
Sources in police said ten companies of additional paramilitary personnel have been sought from Government of India (GoI) to deal with the situation in the valley.
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and Director General of Police (DGP) K Rajendra reviewed the security situation of the Valley today, sources said.
Meanwhile, shops, offices, business establishments and petrol pumps remained shut for third consecutive day today while public transport was completely off the roads.
Mobile internet services also remained suspended in the Valley.
The separatist leaders including Hurriyat (G) Chairman, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, Shabir Ahmad Shah, Nayeem, Khan, Mohammad Ashraf Sehrai and others continue to remain under house arrest.
Police version
A police spokesman said the situation in Valley remained under control today though incidents of arson and mob attacks were reported.
He said the incidents of stone pelting were reported from Warpora, Langate, Kralgund, Hajin, Kaloosa, Prichoo, Sheeri, Khanpora, Preng, Koil, Fruitmandi Sopore, Popchan, Hyderpora, Baghat Barzulla, Tengpora, Rambagh, Cement Bridge Baramulla, Tahab, Yaripora, Sangam, Bijbehara, Trehgam, Kralpora, Villgam, Shopian, Imamsahib and Gagran.
“Unruly mobs set on fire Police Post Fruit Mandi Sopore and Police Post Litter. A number of police establishments were also attacked by hooligans. The police and para military personnel deployed exhibited maximum restraint while dealing with the situation,” he said.
The spokesman said at Zirpora Bijbehara militants fired upon police and CRPF personnel deployed for law & order duties which resulted in injuries to three persons who have been hospitalised.
Hospitals across Kashmir valley continued to receive injured civilians with the overall tally crossing 1500 by Monday evening.
While more than 260 critically injured persons were treated at SKIMS Soura and SMHS Hospital, over 1200 injured were managed by the doctors in different district and sub-district hospitals of the valley, officials revealed to Kashmir Post.
“It has been a calm day in District Hospital Pulwama,” said Medical Superintendent Dr Rashid Para as his voice break with exhaustion from just a few hours of sleep since July 9.
However, as he began narrating the happenings of last two days at the hospital, painful details came to fore.
“It is a dance of death as we receive people in critical condition- with broken legs, ruptured abdomen and many with serious head and eye injuries. It is a real testing time for all of us,” Dr Rashid told Kashmir Post.
“My heart really cried when I saw few policemen throwing a blood soaked body of youth from a gypsy at the hospital doorstep. The youth was already dead as his abdomen was busted due to bullet injury. His identity and residence was not known to anyone. Then a local ‘Baitul Mal’ helped us send his body to his home in Mohanpora Shopian,” he said.
Dr Para said the district hospital received more than 80 injured persons since July 9 and most of them had firearm and pellet injuries above the waist.
“Many of them were in a real bad situation as they needed life support. Some of them were sent to Srinagar hospitals,” he said.
Chief Medical Officer Pulwama, Dr Fayaz Ahmad said the hospitals of the district admitted over 400 injured persons since July 9 with 29 critical bullet injuries above the waist.
“Among the 401 injured persons received till 6pm on July 11, 29 had bullet injuries, 200 had pellet injuries while 182 people injured due to torture, stone pelting or accident,” he said.
He said we referred some 80 patients to SMHS hospital and SKIMS and 4 to Bone and Joint Hospital as their condition were very critical.
“One person was brought dead to CHC Rajpora. He was from Kegam village,” the CMO said.
Dr Fayaz said the doctors managed the injured in SDH Pampore, SDH Tral, CHC Rajpora, PHC Tahab besides District Hospital Pulwama.
The condition was even worst in the hospitals of District Anantnag where the doctors had to manage over 450 injured persons, most of them with firearm injuries, as per CMO Anantnag, Dr Fazil Ali.
Medical Superintendent District Hospital Anantnag, Dr Majid Mirab, told Kashmir Post that they treated over 120 injured in the hospital including 26 with bullet injuries in the abdomen, limbs and head.
“We referred some of the critical to SMHS and SKIMS while six were reported brought dead to different hospitals of the district,” he said.
On Monday, the medical staff had to face the brunt of angry Police and CRPF personnel who allegedly vandalized the Sub-district hospital Bijbehara.
“This afternoon there was a firing incident at the nearby Jamia Masjid in which protesters were injured, two of them critical. While we were managing the injured, Police and CRPF barged into the hospital. They beat the hospital staff and damaged the hospital property. We have reported the incident to DC Anantnag,” Medical Superintendent of the Hospital,” Dr Showkat Hussain told Kashmir Post over phone from Bijbehara.
He said they referred the two critical youth to SKIMS as they needed specialized treatment
According to Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Baramulla, Dr Bashir Chalkoo nearly 100 people are currently being treated in the three main hospitals, District Hospital Baramulla, SDH Sopore and CHC Kreeri.
“They have received bullet and pellet injuries during the clashes and were admitted to the hospital for treatment,” he said.
According to health officials in Budgam, 25 injured people were treated in the hospitals of the district.
Medical Superintendent, SMHS Hospital, Dr Nazir Choudhary told Kashmir Post that they received 14 injured on Monday which took the toll of injured persons to 205 since Friday.
According to Dr Farooq A Jan, Medical Superintendent of SKIMS Soura. 56 injured were admitted to the hospital since Friday evening while three among them lost their lives.
Doctors at Bone and Joint Hospital said they admitted nearly 50 patients with grave limb fractures.
“Some of them had serious nerve injuries which was difficult to manage,” said Medical Superintendent, Dr Rashid Badoo.
Directorate of Health Services, Kashmir has established 24X7 helpline following the declaration of medical emergency in Kashmir.
“In case of any medical emergency or assistance Directorate of Health Services, Kashmir (DHSK) has upgraded the night shift helpline service numbers for the general public and will be functional from 8 pm tonight to 8 am in the morning every day.
“People can contact the following numbers for the same Dr S M Qadri : 9419010363, Dr Rehana Kausar : 9858001121, Dr Ijtaba Shafi : 9419070388, Dr Zahid Nasti : 9419925888, Zahoor Ragi : 9419066748, Mukhtyar : 9419711737, Saleem : 9858312147,” DHSK spokesperson said in a statement.
He said all the numbers were working and callers can enquire about health care facilities and will be facilitated regarding their queries.
