Post Burhan’s death, situation in Kashmir Valley on Saturday turned ugly as six youth died and scores including policemen were injured. Angry protesters set ablaze two police stations in Achabal and Damhal Hanjipora and police post in Kund area of Qazigund.A senior police official said that a youth Khurshid Ahmad who sustained bullet injury in a firing incident in Kulgam on Friday evening succumbed to his injuries. "However, it is not clear yet as to who fired" he said.Another youth Amir Bashir was killed when police allegedly opened fire in Dooru area of Anantnag district. People had gathered in large numbers and they clashed with police. Over hundred people are reported to have been injured in clashes and tear smoke shelling in different parts of Kashmir and admitted in Srinagar hospitals.Agitated protesters ransacked SMHS hospital after a youth from Chattargam Kulgam whom locals identified as Muhammad Umar a resident of Chattargam Kulgam succumbed to his injuries. He was brought in from South Kashmir to Srinagar hospital after he received a bullet during clashes with government forces. Zubair Ahmed another youth from Koimouh Kulgam also died in Anantnag hospital.Two more youth were killed in Hasanpora Kulgam when according to eyewitnesses CRPF fired upon protesters. A police official identified the slain youth as Abdul Hamid Moochi of Arwani and Showkat Ahmad of Bijbehara.Another youth of Achabal area from south Kashmir's Anantnag succumbed to his injuries at SKIMS here.
Danish Ahmed, 19, of Achabal, Anantnag succumbed at SKIMS during evening hours. Yet another youth whom police identified as Ajaz Ahmed Tokhar son of Ali Muhammad a resident of Silgam Ashmuqam area of South Kashmir’s Anantnag district was killed in forces firing. Thousands of people participated in his last rites.Reports said that South Kashmir was on boil on Saturday. Protesters in scores of areas across Kashmir Valley including Achabal, Kokarnag, Kund, Qazigund, DH Pora, Vessu, Dooru, Sangam, Awantipora, Pulwama, Bomai, Sopore, Baramulla, Palhalan, Pattan, Delina, Gantamullah, Sheeri, Kreeri, Lalpora, Bandipora, Narbal, Lasjan, Barzulla, Nowgam, Tengpora and Batamaloo attacked government forces and resorted to massive stone-pelting. Massive protests erupted in Kaimoh and adjoining villages of Kolpora, Khudwani and Redwani in Kulgam district after the killing of Hizb commnader Burhan Wani. Reports said that several youth were injured during the clashes.In Anantnag town, the protesters have defied curfew at several places, said a witness. Mosques reverberated with pro-freedom and pro-Burhan slogans. Locals alleged that government forces barged into many houses in old town during the protests. Reports of massive protests were also been received from Seer, Mattan, Kokernag and other villages of South Kashmir. Violent protests were also reported from Mir Bazar and Damhal Hanjipora while in Nilo Bugam a group of protesters attack BJP office.
A police official said that protesters torched a police station in Achabal and in Damhal Hanjipora in South Kashmir after they attacked them. One police post was also attacked in Kund and has been put on fire. “I can’t tell you exactly what is happening on the ground. Protesters are going on rampage and we are busy in dealing with law and order situation,” said a top police official.Another police official told CNS that amid heavy stone-pelting agitated youth set ablaze the old government vehicle of Tehsildar in Tral town of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district. Youth resorted to heavy stone-pelting in different areas of the town while police used tear-smoke shells to disperse them.Reports said that agitated youth who were part of a procession attacked the house of a BJP leader Ghulam Hasan Zargar and damaged his house. However, Zargar who was a BJP candidate for last Assembly elections from Kulgam constituency was not present at the home. At Nehman Kulgam, protesters reportedly attacked an Army camp. The Army according to eyewitnesses retaliated with firing injuring several protesters.Witnesses said that hundreds of agitated youth attacked police station Pattan in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district with stones shortly after the culmination of funeral prayers in absentia offered by thousands of people for Burhan Wani and his two associates in main market Pattan. Witnesses added that the intense stone-pelting incident prompted government forces to resort to aerial firing and burst dozens of tear smoke canisters. “The Pattan town was filled with smoke as government forces resorted to intense tear-gas shelling.
The police also resorted to aerial firing creating panic in the area. However, the firing and teargas shelling didn’t prevent youth from attacking police station. The intense clashes continued for hours in the town leaving dozens of protesters as well as policemen wounded,” CNS reporter from Pattan informed. He added that a police constable Tanvir Ahmed was seriously injured after he was hit by a stone. “The cop was rushed to Sub District Hospital Pattan where from he was shifted to SMHS hospital Srinagar for advanced treatment.”Locals alleged that CRPF personnel smashed windshields of many parked vehicles and barged into houses and ransacked them. The infuriated youth confronted them with stones. “The situation in the town remained tense throughout the day.” Confirming that youth attacked police station with stones and created law and order problem, a police official said that due to efforts of deployed security personnel situation was brought under control. Clashes also erupted in Sopore town while government forces fired tear-smoke shells to disperse the agitated youth. Reports said that amid pro-freedom, pro-Burhan slogans youth cornered CRPF post located inside the premises of State Bank of India. The youth hurled stones on the CRPF and policemen deployed on the roads. Stone-pleting incidents were also reported from Armpora Sopore. At least 20 people were injured during the clashes. Block Medical Officer Sopore Dr Sami told CNS that two youth had received pellet injuries and they both were shifted to Srinagar hospital. Clashes also broke out in Narbal area where agitated youth targeted vehicles plying on the road. After the police intervention, clashes erupted leaving many people wounded. In Bandipora, a BSF bunker was torched while it was intense clashes reported from Baramulla town.
Parts of Srinagar city reeled under declared curfew while civil lines areas observed a complete shutdown against the killing of Hizb commander Burhan Wani. Authorities in a bid to maintain law and order in summer capital imposed curfew in old Srinagar city. Curfew was also imposed in volatile Maisuma locality that houses the headquarters of pro-freedom party Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front. Government Forces in riot gears were seen patrolling in restive streets and roads of Srinagar city.In summer capital, Maisuma erupted and forces lobbed scores of tear gas canisters while youth resorted to intense stone pelting amid pro-freedom sloganeering. From uptown Tengpora, tear gas shelling and stone pelting continued for hours. Clashes also broke out in Batamaloo area of city. The agitated protesters had blocked roads and streets in different parts of civil line area’s disrupting traffic. In Zampakadal area police according to reports used force to snatch the body of a Kulgam youth who succumbed to injuries at SMHS hospital. Shortly after the death of Kulgam youth Muhammad Umar, locals from Zanpakadal offered funeral prayers in his favour, however witnesses said that police used force to take control of the dead body.Clashes erupted in Chichlora area near Magam town of central Kashmir after funeral prayers in absentia were held for slain militant commander Burhan Wani. Witnesses said that scores of people assembled in Chichlora on Srinagar-Gulmarg road and offered prayers for the 21-year-old ‘poster boy’ of new-age militancy in Kashmir. Police and paramilitary forces lobbed teargas shells at the protesters who pelted stones. Clashes according to eyewitness continued for hours together.
Meanwhile, Additional Director General CID Mr SM Sahai while addressing a press conference said that, “following the killing of three militants in Verinag on Friday, violent clashes occurred in various parts of the Valley on Saturday. Unruly mobs attacked security forces, civil, police establishments and vital installations throughout the Valley.”He said that violent incidents of arson and stone pelting were reported from Achabal, Kokarnag, Kund, Qazigund, DH Pora, Vessu, Dooru, Sangam, Awantipora, Pulwama, Bomai, Sopore, Baramulla, Palhalan, Pattan, Delina, Gantamullah, Sheeri, Kreeri, Lalpora, Bandipora, Narbal, Lasjan, Barzulla, Nowgam, Tengpora and Batamaloo. “At many places the mobs forcibly tried to enter security force establishments with the intention to seize weapons and harm forces personnel. Two police stations DH Pora, Achabal, Tehsil Office Kokarnag and Police Post Kund, Qazigund were set on fire. The mob looted weapons from police station DH Pora and police personnel were fired upon. Three policemen are missing. The camps of Sangrama, Larnoo, Seer, Gopalpora, Mattan, Kokarnag, Dooru and Janglat Mandi were attacked,” he said.Sahai according to news agency CNS said that 96 forces personnel were seriously injured. “The police and security personnel used tear gas to disperse the crowds. At a couple of places, during crowd control eight people died,” he said. He appealed parents to keep and check on their wards and prevent them from indulging in stone-pelting and other kind of violence. (CNS)