Curfew was on Sunday lifted after two days in Kashmir Valley where over 26 persons including security personnel were injured in fresh clashes during a strike called by separatists to protest against the firing incident in Ramban district that had left four persons dead.
Minor protests were witnessed in Gool and Sangaldan towns of Ramban district in Jammu region during Sunday’s bandh to press for the arrest of those involved in the July 18 firing incident in Dharam. "Situation is under control and no report of any untoward incident was received from Jammu region," a police spokesman said.
The bandh came close on the heels of the visit of a team of district officials to review the situation and inquire into the firing incident. Authorities lifted curfew from all parts of the Valley this morning in view of the improvement in the law and order situation, official sources said.
26 persons injured in clashes at many places in Srinagar while stonepelting incidents were also reported from Barzulla in uptown, Khanyar, Nowhatta, Safakadal, Rajouri kadal, Gojwara and some other areas in the old city. Police and paramilitary forces used tear gas shells and fired pellet guns to chase away protesters, the sources said. They said 17 protesters were hurt in police action while eight security personnel also sustained injuries.
Danish Ismail, working as a photojournalist with an international news agency, was hit by a stone on the head while covering one of the protests in the old city. He was rushed to a hospital and later discharged. Clashes between protesters and law enforcement agencies were also reported in Baramulla and Bandipora districts of north Kashmir, the sources said.
A police spokesman said barring the stonepleting incidents, the situation across the Valley remained by and large peaceful. Curfew was imposed on Friday in all areas of Srinagar, Budgam, Ganderbal and Bandipora districts and Shopian, Pulwama, Kulgam, Anantnag, Bijbehara and Sopore towns. Although curfew has been lifted in the Valley, normal life remained affected due to the strike called by Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani.
Shops and other business establishments remained closed while public transport remained off roads due to the strike. Handcarts of roadside vendors and few private vehicles dotted the otherwise deserted roads of the summer capital of the state. The Amarnath Yatra from Jammu also resumed on Saturday evening after it was halted in view of curfew imposed in many parts of Kashmir Valley. Amid tight security, a fresh batch of over 1,000 pilgrims today left the Jammu base camp for their onward journey to the cave shrine in south Kashmir.
The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was also reopened to traffic on Saturday after a two-day closure due to tensions in Ramban district, police said. Authorities are monitoring the situation round-the-clock and additional forces have been deployed in sensitive areas of Jammu region. More than 100 persons, mostly security force personnel, were injured in clashes on Friday and Saturday in the wake of Ramban firing incident.
Comments
0 comment