Srinagar: Tension escalated in the Kashmir Valley Tuesday with three people being killed and five injured when the army fired on a crowd defying curfew restrictions in the town of Bandipora.
According to police officials, the incident took place in the morning when troops fired at an unruly mob at Bandipora, 52 km from here, for curfew violation and for resorting to violence against security personnel.
People took out processions and shouted slogans in other places where too curfew was defied, including in Srinagar and other towns.
Former minister and People's Democratic Party leader Javaid Mustafa Mir led a procession at Lasjan on the outskirts of the city.
A senior police official here said Mir's personal security guard fired at a sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) who tried to break the procession.
"The officer has been removed to the hospital for treatment," police here said.
Mir has been provided with armed security by the administration here like all other senior mainstream politicians and former ministers.
On Monday evening, indefinite curfew had been imposed throughout the valley — in the summer capital Srinagar and in the district headquarters of Baramulla, Bandipora, Kupwara, Ganderbal, Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian, Badgam and Kulgam.
The army's assistance was sought to enforce the curfew at sensitive places like Baramulla and Bandipora.
This followed the death of the senior Hurriyat leader of the moderate Mirwaiz group, Sheikh Abdul Aziz, who was killed leading a huge march towards Muzaffarabad. Security forces had intercepted the marchers at Chahal, 25 km before the border town of Uri in Baramulla district.
Five other protesters were killed in firing incidents across the valley Monday -- two at Sangrama on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad highway, 45 km from here, two at Chahal and one at Parimpora in Srinagar city.
More than 400 people, including 100 policemen, were injured in the outbreak of violence.
The body of the slain Hurriyat leader was taken to the Jamia mosque by hundreds of people and kept there overnight for the burial scheduled Tuesday afternoon.
"We have not enforced the curfew restrictions around the Jamia mosque in the old city area to allow the mourners attendance in the burial," a senior police official said here.
Authorities here are now focusing on old city areas where the funeral procession of the slain Hurriyat leader would start at 3 p.m., officials here said.
The chiefs of the two factions of the separatist Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, continue to remain under house arrest here.
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One killed in Srinagar
In Srinagar, one person was killed and several others were injured when police and security forces opened fire, burst teargas shells and resorted to lathicharge to disperse thousands of people who defied curfew in different parts of the city on Tuesday.
Official sources said hundreds of people violated the curfew restriction at Rainawari in the down town city.
However, when they tried to march towards the main chowk, security forces and police personnel resorted to lathicharge and fired teargas shells.
The protestors also pelted stones before police opened fire.
A youth was killed on the spot and four others were injured, sources said.
A UNI correspondent who was on the spot said the youth was shot in the head and died instantly.
Several others were injured in the police action, sources added.
Hundreds of people were marching towards Srinagar from Mujgund in a procession, raising pro-freedom slogans.
Reports of curfew violation restrictions were also received from Batmaloo, Nowgam, Khanyar, Badobagh, Natipora and Kursoo, where security forces and police had a tough time to controlling the mob.
(from IANS and UNI)
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