Life was disrupted on Wednesday for the 117th consecutive day due to separatist sponsored shutdown. Greater movement of traffic was noticed in the uptown areas of Srinagar city however, in South and North Kashmir the scene was different.Cordon and search operations sparked clashes and protests in different parts of Kashmir Valley that left more than 50 people injured. Some of the injured are reported to be critical.Intense clashes were reported from Soura area of Srinagar city when more than 35 people including a police officer and some security personnel were wounded. The clashes erupted after government forces cordoned off Anchar area and conducted door to door searches to flush out stone-pelters. Locals however alleged that shortly after the launch of operation, government forces resorted to unprovoked tear-smoke shelling while they even lobbed PAVA shells into the houses and premises of people. The agitated protesters hit to road in large numbers and pelted stones on the government forces who retaliated with pellets and tear-smoke canisters. As the protesters didn’t relent, government forces resorted to aerial firing to dissipate them.
The protest spread to 90 feet area when forces personnel allegedly barged into houses and ransacked property. The locals told news agency CNS that it was like doomsday for them. “The men in uniform behaved as they were drunk don’t knowing what they were doing. They thrashed everyone who came in their way. Even women, kids and elderly people were not spared,” the locals said adding that the forces behavior agitated people who carried out an intense attack on them.Reports said that SP Naveed Peerzada was among several police and paramilitary personnel injured in the clashes. Peerzada received wounds in his hand. A youth was also hit by a teargas shell on his head during clashes and was shifted to SKIMS for advanced treatment. Several protesters, according to residents took shelter inside the Jenab Sahab (RA) shrine to escape the forces' "wrath". Eyewitnesses said that one of the tear-gas shell landed near the Auqaf building while timely action from locals saved the building from catching the fire.
At least 10 persons were wounded while one of them received pellets in his eyes at Hygam Sopore area in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district when police foiled pro-freedom march there. A large number of people had gathered there while police fired pellets and tear-smoke shells to disperse them. Witnesses said that 10 persons suffered pellet injuries while one of them whom locals identified as Mehraj Sultan Dar received pellets into his eyes.In South Kashmir, Government forces cordoned Bijbehara, the home town of the chief minister, Mehbooba Mufti and conducted searches. Locals said that crackdown on nineties pattern was started at 6:3m am and it lasted for around four hours. However, they said no one was arrested during the crackdown. “Door to door searches were conducted in the Baba Mohalla, as well where CM’s ancestral house is situated,” sources said adding searches were also conducted in New Colony and Jamia Majid areas of the town.In South Kashmir’s Pulwama district police used tear-smoke shells to disperse protesters who hit to roads against Rohmu incident a few days back in which scores of people including two girls had suffered pellet injuries. Witnesses said that a large number of youth pelted stones on police near Rajpora Chowk while tear-smoke shells were used to disperse them. A complete shutdown was observed in the district while shops remained closed even after 5pm, though Resistance leadership had announced relaxation in the shutdown period. Clashes were also reported from Newa area of Pulwama district. (CNS)