At least 35 persons including some cops sustained injuries in clashes between youth and forces in Aanchar area of Soura that erupted after forces launched a crackdown in the area to arrest the youth allegedly involved in stone pelting.Local sources informed KNS that at least a dozen of civilians sustained serious injuries during the clashes who were later shifted to the hospital for treatment.The residents alleged that forces barged into the residential houses and beaten the inmates there thereby brought fear among them.According to witnesses and reports, forces launched crackdown in the wee hours of this morning in the area during which residents showed resistance that led to the intense clashes between forces and youth during which forces restored to tear gas shells and pellets to disperse them.Reports informed that during the heavy teargas shelling, a shrine Jinab Sahab caught fire, which was doused by locals immediately. They said that the shrine got partially damaged.Meanwhile, the effect of heavy tear gas shelling which was hit the patients in the Out Patient Department (OPD) inside main tertiary care hospital SKIMS
President Employees Union SKIMS told KNS over phone that the patients who were in the OPD run for cover as teargas shelling was going on in the area.He said that the patients started coughing badly as the tear smoke is dominating scenes inside the hospital wards.Meanwhile, a peaceful protest was organized in Kani Kadal area of Habba Kadal in which scores of people participated.The people raised anti-India and pro-freedom slogans during the protests.Local sources however said that despite separatists had called for relaxation in shutdown after 05:00 pm; the markets in the area remained closed to protests against the forces action in Soura.Meanwhile, in a statement issued to KNS, police said that “miscreants in large number pelted stones heavily upon the deployments at Anchar Soura in district Srinagar resulting in the grievous injuries to SP Hazratbal and 35 other police and security forces personnel.”They said that while dealing with the law & order in the area, three civilians who were part of the mob also sustained injuries. “The injured were shifted to SKIMS Soura for treatment. The condition of all of them is stated to be stable,” police said. (KNS)