Sopur, Jan 17: Two days after militants attacked the Police Station Sopur, paramilitary CRPF troopers on Sunday conducted house to house searches in this north Kashmir town.
 Hundreds of troopers cordoned off Muslim Peer, Jamai, Khushal Matto, Shalpora, Baba Yusuf and other areas this morning and launched searches.  “It was just like crackdown as they did not allow people to come out or go inside these localities. The area has been turned into garrison after the attack,” said Mehrajuddin Peer, a resident
 The main chowk area wore a deserted look as it was declared out of bounds for public, with only police and CRPF men deployed in strength and armoured vehicles patrolling the roads.
 As the searches were continuing scores of youth took to the streets at Hajam Mohalla, Muslim Peer and other areas for second consecutive day toaday and staged massive pro-freedom demonstrations. Policemen and paramilitary CRPF troopers resorted to baton charge and fired numerous tear smoke canisters to disperse the protesters. However, they retaliated with stones triggering clashes that continued till late in the afternoon. 
 Pertinently, a policeman and a youth, Parvaiz Ahmed were killed and six persons including three policemen were wounded in a shootout between the militants and police in the Sopur town on Friday, since then life in the town has been paralyzed.

POLICE SPEAKS
 When contacted the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police north Kashmir, A Q Manhas, said, “Searches were a routine exercise ahead of January 26.” 
 He claimed that except a few incidents of stone pelting situation in the town remained normal.
 “The situation is peaceful and police has been deployed in a few areas to prevent any untoward incident,” the Assistant Superintendent of Police Sopur Abdul Waheed told Greater Kashmir.

GK ADDS FROM SRINAGAR
Hundreds of youth took to the streets in different parts of the old city in Srinagar on Sunday to protest against the killing of the Sopur youth, Parvaiz Ahmed, who died in the cross firing between the militants and police on Friday.   
 Reports said that youth took to streets in Khanyar, Koolipora, Shiraz Chowk, Rajouri Kadal Gojwara and other area and staged massive pro-freedom demonstrations.
 However, police and paramilitary troopers used force to quell the protesters. At several places police and protesters fought pitched battles as later pelted stones on the policemen.
 Policemen also 'roughed up' several photojournalists who were covering the incident.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 17 Jan 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 17 Jan 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:00:00 IST