Stepping up their crackdown on dissenters, government forces in south Kashmir’s Shopian district detained seven more persons on Sunday night.
A police official said thatforces late on Sunday night detained seven persons in Arhama village, near mainShopian town. Those detained were lodged at police station Shopian and werebeing quizzed, the official said.
The official identified the detainees as Mohammad IshaqIttoo son of Mohammad Ahsan Ittoo, Mehrajuddin Mir son of Qadir Mir, ArshidLone son of Jabbar Lone, Shabir Kulley son of Rashid Kulley, Gh. Nabi Mir sonof Gh Qadir Mir, Irfan Ittoo son of Ab. Rashid and Fayaz Ahmad Mir son of AhsanMir.
Pertinently, on Saturday a groups of militants appeared inthe hamlet during the funeral prayers of a local militant Yasir Ahmad Shah -whowas killed along with his associate in Gadapora village on March 22- andoffered him a gun salute.
Shahhad signed up for a militant group only a week ago.
There is no let-up in the arrests of dissenters andactivists of recently proscribed socio-religious organisation, Jamaat-e-Islamiin the twin south Kashmir districts of Shopian and Pulwama.
Over the past two weeks, at least nine persons including twoJamaat activists were slapped with the controversial Public Safety Act inShopian and Pulwama districts while dozens of youth were detained in theseareas.
The PSA allows the authorities to detain a person withoutpresenting him for a trial.
Meanwhile, police on Monday said they have busted a hideoutin Shirmal village of Shopian district.
A senior police official said the hideout was found during asearch operation in an apple orchard.
He said the hideout was used by militants and theirassociates.