- Protests in North, South, Central Kashmir
- Clashes leave 20 youth injured on 153rd Day of Unrest
The life in Valley was affected by the separatists sponsored shutdown and protests on Friday while many people were injured in clashes across Kashmir.
Authorities had also placed separatist leaders under house arrest to prevent them from leading protests after Friday prayers.
Shops, business establishments, petrol pumps and educational institutions remained closed while public transport was off the roads.
Authorities had deployed police and paramilitary personnel in strength in downtown Srinagar, and sensitive areas of Srinagar and other parts of the Valley to prevent people from taking to roads after Friday prayers and staging anti-India demonstrations.
Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman Syed Ali Geelani remained under house arrest while Hurriyat (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Faroq was placed under house detention after the end of Friday congregational prayers.
“Mirwaiz , who was already under house detention, was released by the police at 12:30 pm to allow him to offer Friday prayers at historic Jamia Masjid Nowhatta. He was again placed under house arrest after he reached home after offering the Friday prayers,” media advisor to Mirwaiz, Shahid ul Islam, told Kashmir Post.
At least 20 youth sustained injuries in clashes with security forces in various parts of Kashmir on Friday.
Massive protests and clashes were reported in old Srinagar, Sopore, Palhallan and also in South Kashmir’s Pulwama, Tral and Shopian areas. Reports said soon after the culmination of Friday prayers at the historic Jamia Masjid in old city, youth assembled at main chowk Nowhatta and staged a pro-freedom rally. The youth later resorted to massive stone pelting on the forces, who retaliated with the firing of tear gas shells. The protests later spilled over to Hawal, Khanyar, Rajouri Kadal, Saraf Kadal and other adjoining areas. Reports said that six youth sustained injuries in the forces’ action.
In uptown Batamaloo area, reports said that massive protests broke out after Friday prayers. Large number of people assembled at Reka Chowk and hurled stones on the forces. The forces retaliated with tear-smoke shells. As the clashes intensified, forces personnel fired in air to disperse the agitating protesters. The clashes continued for hours, reports said. Protesters were protesting against the civilian and militant killings in Kashmir.
Pertinently, Kashmir has been observing shutdown since July 8, the day when HizbulMujahideen commander BurhanWani was killed. However, so far joint resistance leadership has announced relaxation in shutdown calendars thrice. As per the fresh calendar, there is a three-day relaxation in the shutdown from Saturday.
At least 96 civilians have been killed and 15000 injured by security forces in Kashmir since July 8 in a bid to quell the uprising.
Reports from South Kashmir said that clashes erupted in Tral area of Pulwama district whereas peaceful protests were held in Rahmoo area of the district.
Witnesses said that people in large numbers from different mosques assembled and staged a protest in Tral. They raised pro-freedom slogans and later marched towards bus stand. The protestors resorted to stone pelting on forces triggering clashes. Forces retaliated with tear gas shells to quell the protestors.
A peaceful protest rally was also staged at main town Shopian, reports said.
Reports from north Kashmir’s Baramulla district said that amid complete shutdown, clashes between youth and police were reported from Palhallan and old town areas of Baramulla.
In old town Baramulla, clashes between youth and police broke out soon after Friday prayers. Police fired volley of tear smoke shells to quell the protesting youths and clashes were continuing till evening.
In Palhallan, youths while trying to march towards the highway were prevented by the police. The police action triggered clashes in the area. Police pushed the protesting youths towards the interior of the area and clashes continued for several hours, however traffic movement on the highway remained unaffected.
Reports from Sopore area said that a large number of people assembled at Jamia Masjid area and started shouting pro-freedom, anti-India slogans. They later began throwing stones at the police and paramilitary personnel deployed there. Reports said that police and paramilitary forces in the area retaliated by lobbing tear smoke canisters and firing of pellets in which 15 youth were injured.
Reports from north Kashmir’s Bandipora district said that police resorted to aerial firing to break up protests in Plan area. “A police Rakshak vehicle came under heavy stone pelting near Nag Masjid. Police personnel inside the vehicle fired some shots in air to disperse the protesting youth,” witnesses said. Mild clashes also erupted in Nowpora, Nibripora and Papchan areas of Bandipora.
Reports from Central Kashmir’s Budgam district said that clashes broke out at Mazhama and Bandarwani areas of Budgam where youth clashed with forces, reports said. According to residents of Mazhama, forces beat up a youth triggering protests and stone pelting in the area. Vehicles of CRPF were stoned near Aripanthan that resulted in mild clashes in the areas, reports said.
An elderly woman from Narbal sustained injuries after being hit by a stone early Friday morning.
