Policemen stand guard on a street during a curfew in Srinagar
Srinagar: Twenty-five people, including security personnel and protesters, were injured across the Kashmir valley yesterday in clashes between security forces and stone-pelting mobs, taking the total number of injured in clashes during the week to over 227.
About 104 vehicles were damaged in the clashes over the past few days, police said yesterday.
An ambulance was damaged by a mob in Pattan town of Baramulla district yesterday.
Curfew was imposed in Srinagar city and all other major towns of the valley to prevent any breach of law and order by unruly mobs.
In a press statement, the police said: “During the past few days in tackling the situation, 192 people including 109 policemen and 73 CRPF personnel were injured.”
The statement added that 103 vehicles, including 18 civilian and two tourists vehicles, were damaged by miscreants in stone pelting at various places in South Kashmir, in the districts of Anantnag, Pulwama, Awantipora, Kulgam and Shopian. They include 35 police vehicles, 45 CRPF vehicles and three government vehicles.
A court complex at Dooru (Anantnag) and the government rest house there was also damaged. Window panes and two desktop computers of a private company at Semthan, a hotel in Pulwama and an animal husbandry department building in Shopian were also damaged.
The valley has been on the boil since March 5, when a 24-year-old youth was killed, allegedly in firing by security forces in Baramulla town.
The state police has lodged an FIR against security forces believed to be involved in the firing. The FIR also names a colonel of a counterinsurgency unit.
The army has started a court of inquiry (COI) into the incident. The COI, headed by a brigadier has reportedly asked the state police to provide it names of people who might have been present at the firing spot.
The family of the slain youth has declined to accept the ex-gratia cash relief announced by the state government.
Sajad Ahmad Sofi, brother of the dead youth, told reporters the family wants those responsible for the killing to be brought to justice.
IANS
