Srinagar, Sept 8: Widespread protests broke out in summer capital and elsewhere in the Valley even as curfew remained imposed here and in other towns on Wednesday. Today the ongoing unrest completed 89 days of almost continued shutdown during which 69 persons, mainly youth and children, have been killed by police and para-military CRPF since June 11 while dispersing pro-freedom protests.

The Srinagar city, mainly the downtown areas, continued to be under strict curfew. However, protests broke in several localities of the city in the afternoon. The protests started from uptown Hyderpora after police arrested Hurriyat Conference (G) Chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

People, mainly youngsters, poured onto streets at Galwanpora and Gulshan Abad and raised anti-India and pro-freedom slogans.

They pelted stones on police and CRPF who tried to disperse them by caning and firing tear smoke ammunition.

Protests also broke out in Barzulla, Chanapora, Bemina, Tengpora localities of the uptown. Youth engaged CRPF and police personnel in ding-dong battles throughout the day. Police fired teargas shells and fired pellets using shotguns to disperse the protesting youth.

A youth Ubaid Ahmad son of Mehraj-ud-din got injured near Chattabal. He received pellet injuries in his leg.

At Bemina, nearly half a dozen persons were injured in police action, one of them grievously. Police said the protesters attacked the SDA building with stones and attempted to set it ablaze. The SDA office is being often targeted by angry protesters. Police said boys torched a truck bearing registration number JK01C-7236.

Locals said police had arrested two youth—Imtiaz Ahmed Fafoo and Aamir Ahmed from the locality. They said Imtiaz was mentally retarded.

The protests also spilled over to the downtown of the city. Groups of protesters staged demonstrations and pelted stones on police and CRPF at Khanyar, Chattabal, Hawal, Hazratbal, Habak, Foreshore Road and Soura.
Police and CRPF resorted to tear gas shelling and aerial firing to deal with the protesters who pelted stones on them.

Residents of Soura, Dangerpora Eidgah and Habbak alleged that police and paramilitary CRPF men unleashed terror in these localities and barged into the houses where they beat up residents without any provocation.

Meanwhile, restrictions were in place in the central Kashmir district of Budgam. The town and its peripheries remained locked down today. In Ompora near Budgam, people held a peaceful protest demonstration.

Three persons were injured in Pampore town after police used force against protesters.

Protests broke out at Nambalbal, Kadalbal and Drangbal areas of the town. Police and CRPF baton charged and lobbed teargas shells to disperse them. Three persons were injured in police action. They are Omar Rasool, Tanveer Ahmad, Majid Ahmad, all residents of Pampore.

SOUTH:
Curfew remained imposed in the South Kashmir town of Islamabad for the second running day; it was today extended to Bijbehara town also. Several people including cops sustained injuries in the clashes that erupted later in the evening.

Police and CRPF were deployed in strength in the entire Islamabad town. Several people were allegedly thrashed by the paramilitary forces during the day.

“I requested the CRPF men standing a few meters from my residence if I can go for prayers in a nearby masjid, they called me up by and then severely thrashed me,” said Muhammad Sidiq, aged 70.

Another person, Muhammad Abass, who was being treated at district hospital, Islamabad, also said that he was mercilessly beaten up by CRPF men.

Late in the evening, when the deployment was reduced, people took to streets at various places in old town; Malakhnag, Cheeni Chowk, Reeshi Bazar, Sherpora, Janglat Mandi, Achabal Adda, Dangerpora, Mattan Chowk and Lal Chowk and clashed with police and CRPF persons. Clashes also erupted in several K.P road areas, Khanabal, Naibasti, Laizbal and Gulshanabad.

The forces lobbed tear gas canisters and fired several rounds in air to disperse the youth, who offered stiff resistance and hurled stones and bricks on them. Police raided several houses in Khanabal and other adjoining areas during the day.

Meanwhile, following the violent clashes that erupted on Wednesday in the area, curfew was clamped in Bijbehara town also. However, violent clashes also erupted in several areas of Bijbehara town late in the evening when the deployment was withdrawn.

The protesters resorted to heavy stone pelting and the forces retaliated by lobbing tear gas canisters and firing several rounds in air. Six persons sustained tear shell injured while about a dozen police and CRPF persons were also reportedly injured. The clashes were going on when this report was being filed.

In other South Kashmir towns; Kulgam, Qaimoh, Shopian Pulwama, Kakpora, Tral, Awantiprora Section 144 was enforced and the movement of people was restricted.

However, violent clashes erupted in Kadalbal and Namabal areas of Pampore. The forces lobbed tear gas shells to disperse the protesters. Protests and clashes also erupted in Kulgam and Qaimoh. In Pulwama protests and clashes were witnessed in Prechoo, Samboora and Muran Chowk and Chatipora in the main town.

A massive pro-freedom procession lead by Tehreek-i-Hurriyat activists was carried out in Shopian town late in the evening. Later, a senior leader of Hurriyat (G), Muhammad Yousuf Falahi, addressed people inside the Jamia Masjid.

NORTH:
The North Kashmir’s Palahalan and Varmul towns remained relatively calm during the day. Clashes broke out near SRTC Bridge near Varmul in the evening. Police fired teargas shells to disperse the protesters.

In Sheeri, authorities imposed restrictions during the day after protests intensified last night.

In Ganderbal, for first time in the ongoing unrest, police opened fire upon protesters in Ganderbal district wounding an 18-year old youth while subsequent clashes left eight others injured.

Eyewitnesses told Greater Kashmir that scores of youth took to streets this morning in Beehma Chowk and staged massive demonstrations against the killings of youth.

The police used resorted to teargas canisters and baton charged protesters forcing them to disperse however they regrouped and continued the protests.
The police then fired upon protesters in which Showkat Ahmed Khan son of Ahmad Khan of Beehama was injured. He had a firearm injury in leg and was shifted to SKIMS.

Hundreds of youth staged protests and clashed with cops in areas of Dudherhama, Chek, Fatehpora, Saloora, Arampora, Wanipora and Qamariya Chowk.

During clashes eight protesters were wounded in police action.

The locals alleged that CRPF troopers barged into residential houses and thrashed up inmates mercilessly.

“They also smashed windowpanes of our houses,” locals alleged.

Several media persons, who were discharging their professional duties, were also beaten up by forces.

Reports of protests also poured in from several places in Sopur and Kupwara. Clashes broke out between police and protesters in Trehgam Kupwara this evening, reports said.

Reports said CRPF men attacked residential houses and Jamia Masjid Trehgam.

POLICE CRACKDOWN ON PROTESTERS:
Police Wednesday said it arrested 14 “stone-pelters” from various localities of the downtown here and booked them under various sections.

A police spokesman said that they have arrested 14 persons from Chotta Bazar and Guroo Bazar localities of the city saying they were involved in stone-pelting on forces.

The arrested included Umar Mushtaq Khan son of Mushtaq Ahmad, Sajad Ali Dar son of Ali Muhammad Dar, Umar Asif Zargar son of Ghulam Muhammad, Imran Ahmad Bhat son of Mushtaq Ahmad, Nazim Bashir Khan son of Bashir Ahmad, Junaid Farooq Khan son of Farooq Ahmad, Irshad Ahmad Bhat son of Mushtaq Ahmad, Barkat Rafiq Hazari son of Rafiq Ahmad, Atif Ayub Shah son of Mohammad Ayub, Nasir Zahoor Misgar son of Zahoor Ahmad, Ishtaq Ahmad Zargar son of Late Abdul Gani, Irshad Ahmad Zargar son of Abdul Gani, Gowhar Nazir Bhat son of late Nazir Ahmad residents of Chota Bazar and Hamid Ali Bhat son of Late Gulzar Hussain resident of Guroo Bazar.

He said a case FIR No. 99 under Sections 307, 147, 427, 148, 336, 341 (RPC) has been registered at police Station Shaheed Gunj in this regard.

With inputs from Altaf Baba, Parvaiz Reshi)

Lastupdate on : Wed, 8 Sep 2010 21:30:00 Mecca time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 8 Sep 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 9 Sep 2010 00:00:00 IST