The situation in Handwara and its adjacent areas in Kupwara district remained tense for the second consecutive day on Wednesday following the killing of one more youth in the area.According to KNS correspondent, Jahangir Ahmad Wani was hit by tear smoke shell on his head during the clashes between youth and forces in the Drugmulla area on Wednesday afternoon. “He was immediately shifted to PHC Drugmulla for treatment where he succumbed to his injuries,” locals told KNS correspondent.SSP Kupwara Aijaz Ahmad Bhat told KNS, that the investigation over the killing of Jahangir Wani is going on. Raja Begum, in her fifties, wife of Muhammad Jamal Mir, who was admitted in SKIMS after she was hit by bullets, succumbed to her injuries at SKIMS at 2.30 am.Raja Begum of Langate was in her vegetable garden in Kargam village, 2-km from Handwara town, when a stray bullet had hit her as protests were going on against the killing of two youths who were protesting against the alleged molestation of a girl by an army man.
On Tuesday, clashes between youth and forces erupted in Handwara in which two civilians identified as Nayeem Qadir Bhat of Handwara and Mohammad Iqbal of Bomhama were killed.Amid curfew imposed in Handwara town, youth held protests and clashed with forces deployed in Handwara, Drugmulla and Langate localities of the district.As per reports, 13 youth were injured while one among them identified as Umar Rashid of Ganna Pora received severe injuries and was shifted to Srinagar’s SMHS hospital for treatment.A police post was set ablaze by the agitated youth in Langate today afternoon.The policemen posted there fled spot. Though no policeman was injured in the incident, a police official in the town said.“Yes, a police post in Langate was set ablaze by the agitated protesters. We are currently controlling the situation in the area as the clashes are still going on,” the police official, wishing anonymity told KNS over phone.
Meanwhile, thousands of people participated in the funeral prayers of Nayeem Qadir Bhat, Raja Begum and Jahangir Ahmad Wani who were killed in Handwara town during the protests by youth against the alleged molestation of a girl by an army man.Police handed over Nayeem’s body to his family for last rites on Wednesday afternoon.The funeral prayer of Bhat was held at Boys Higher secondary school Handwara while Jahangir Wani’s funeral prayer was held in Nagri Drugmulla in which thousands of people took participation.Nayeem who was a resident of Bandey Mohalla of Handwara town was later buried in martyr’s graveyard in Handwara.Meanwhile, authorities imposed curfew like restrictions in several old city areas while the rest of the Valley observed complete shutdown against Handwara killings.All the shops and other business establishments remained closed while the private traffic remained off throughout the day.Police and paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were fanned out in the old city areas of Srinagar and blocked all the roads with barricades and concertina wires to curtail pedestrian and vehicular movement in these areas.
Minor clashes between police and youth erupted in several Srinagar old city areas including Habba Kadal, Chota Bazar, Kani Kadal and Chinkral Mohalla. Police resorted to tear smoke shells to disperse the protesters.Complete shutdown was also observed in south Kashmir districts while the residents in several districts also held protests against Handwara killings and expressed solidarity with the bereaved family.A top police official told KNS that barring some stone pelting incidents, the situation remained under control.The shutdown was called by all the factions of Hurriyat including Hurriat (G) chairman, Syed Ali Geelani, Hurriyat (M) chairman, Mirwaiz Molvi Umar Farooq, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman, Muhammad Yasin Malik and others. Meanwhile the authorities have blocked internet services in the Kupwara District. (KNS)