Srinagar: At least 100 people, including a Superintendent of Police (SP) and 35 other security personnel, were injured on Wednesday in clashes between stone-pelting mobs and law enforcing agencies in different parts of Kashmir valley, officials said. The intense clashes took place in Soura area in the outskirts of Srinagar after police tried to arrest some youth allegedly involved in disturbing law and order, leaving 80 people including SP Hazratbal and 35 other securitymen injured, they said.
Among the civilians injured, three received pellet injures while another was hit by a tear-smoke shell during the clashes which continued throughout the day, the officials said.
The clashes broke out when police, assisted by paramilitary forces, launched a cordon and search operation to nab some youth in Anchar locality of Soura, they said.
Commenting on the incident, a police spokesman said “miscreants in large numbers pelted stones heavily upon the deployments at Anchar-Soura resulting in grievous injuries to SP Hazratbal and 35 other police and security forces personnel. “While dealing with the law and order in the area, three civilians who were part of the mob also sustained injuries.
They were shifted to SKIMS Soura for treatment. The condition of all of them is stated to be stable,” the spokesman said.
He said a Deputy Superintendent of Police was injured during another clash which took place between stone-pelting protesters and security forces at Tarzoo village of Sopore township in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
However, officials said 15 people were hurt in the clashes during which police fired dozens of teargas shells and used batons to restore law and order.
In Shopian district of south Kashmir, the spokesman said miscreants pelted stones on police and security forces deployed at Dachoo, Rabben, Nagbal and Sugan during the day.
Police chased the protesters, using mild force, he said.
However, officials said at least five persons sustained minor injuries in the clashes.
Separatists extend strike till Nov 10
Srinagar: Despite the unrest in Kashmir showing signs of fatigue, the separatist camp on Wednesday extended the strike till November 10 even as it asked the people to take “necessary measures” to thwart the burning of educational institutions. The camp, which is spearheading the 117-day long ongoing unrest in the Valley, asked students, parents, elders of the society, masjid and other committees to march towards schools in their respective localities on November 7 and organise “school safety day” from 11 AM to 4 PM.
“Take necessary measures at local level to thwart the ongoing targeting of our schools,” the separatist camp, comprising of both factions of Hurriyat Conference chairmen Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik, said in a statement here.
It called for “complete shutdown” till November 10 and asked the people to resume their normal activities during relaxation period from 4 PM to 7 AM on Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
The camp has extended the relaxation period by an hour in the latest protest calendar but called for complete strike on Friday, Monday and Thursday.
Over 25 educational institutions have been burnt by miscreants in the Valley since July 9, a day after Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter in South Kashmir.