Student killed, 6 injured in Army firing in Rafiabad; death toll reaches 71 on 54th day of turbulence; around 200 injured in 100 clashes across Valley
Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
SRINAGAR: On 54th consecutive day of shutdown and turbulence across Kashmir valley on Wednesday, a separatist crowd torched the house of PDP’s Rajya Sabha member Nazir Ahmad Laway in Kulgam area of South Kashmir while an 18-year-old student killed and six protesters injured in Army firing in Rafiabad area of Sopore in North Kashmir amid around 100 clashes between Police and separatists.
Informed sources said that a crowd of around 100 people barged into a house belonging to Laway at Chawalgam, one Km from Kulgam. They snatched three Insas rifles and one self-loading rifle (SLR) from the four policemen guarding the MP’s house and thereafter set it on fire. The guardroom and a part of the house was destroyed in the fire. However, another house on the premises, in which Laway and his family live, was not attacked. The MP’s house is just 200 meters from an Army camp which did not react.
SSP Kulgam Mohammad Irshad told STATE TIMES that 50 to 60 miscreants trooped into the guardroom on the first floor of Laway’s annexe and they relieved the guards of their weapons before setting the house on fire. “Out of the five police guards, four were present. We have reports that the guards handed over their weapons—three Insas rifles and one SLR—without resistance to the miscreants. We are investigating if it had been already planned with the guards. The miscreants came out with the four rifles but went back and set the guardroom on fire. It gutted alongwith an adjacent room and all the four rifles are reported to have perished in the fire”, SSP Kulgam said.
Irshad said that the guards escaped and later three of them reported at Police Station Kulgam. He said that FIR was registered, the guards taken into custody and an investigation launched. According to him, the MP, who usually stays at his official accommodation close to SSP’s residence, was not present at his Chawalgam house when it was set on fire. Laway, who was not reachable on telephone, was reportedly in Srinagar when the incident occurred .
“I was at a stone’s throw from Dy SP headquarters and SHO just 15 minutes back. We dispersed a crowd at Tangbal and later arrested three stone pelters between Chansar and Okay. As soon as we reached Kulgam, we learned that miscreants have torched Mr Laway’s house. We rushed back to Chawalgam where some miscreants were fleeing into the residential area. The fire was put out but it destroyed a portion of Laway’s second house. His house on the same premises has not been attacked”, Irshad said.
Residences, properties and vehicles of some mainstream politicians have been attacked in the 54-day-long turbulence. However, it is for the first time that the house of a senior leader, who happens to be the ruling PDP’s MP, has been attacked and destroyed by the unruly separatist crowds.
Earlier on Wednesday, sources said, troops of Rashtriya Rifles 32 Bn opened fire at Ladoora village in Sopore-Rafiabad belt in which seven civilians sustained injuries. One of them, who was identified as 18-year-old student Danish Manzoor Lone, succumbed to injuries while he was being rushed to District Hospital Baramulla for treatment. Four of the injured were treated at Baramulla and two more referred to Srinagar. One of them, namely Ashfaq, was described as ‘very critical’.
SP Sopore Harmit Singh told STATE TIMES that one youth died and four others sustained injuries in the shootout. Army maintained that the ROP fired in the air when a crowd of miscreants resorted to intense stone pelting. Police have filed FIR. Residents said that a minor clash had occurred earlier between some youths and Army. Thereafter, troops walked into the village and fired indiscriminately. Four persons sustained injuries who were rushed to Baramulla. Meanwhile, a procession emerged out of Nadihal village.
“Many people in the procession entered Ladoora when they heard that Army had opened indiscriminate fire to terrorise the population. Some people pelted stones which did not hit the troops. But the troops opened fire, killing Danish on the spot and causing grievous injuries to more youths”, said a resident.
With this shootout, 71 persons, including three policemen, have died and thousands sustained injuries in the 8-week-long turbulence triggered by death of the Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani in an encounter on July 8.
Sources said that a crowd of around 1500 people attacked a CRPF camp guarding the newly established colony for migrant employees at Nutnusa in Sopore-Kupwara Road. CRPF opened fire and repulsed the attack. However, four hutments and a guardroom and three vehicles, possibly of the local residents, were damaged in the clash. CRPF later chased the assailants back into the village and pitched battles continued for about two hours. Several people sustained injuries.
Sources said that all the migrant families have gone back to Jammu and other places and they have left the colony after the current turbulence started on July 8.
Elsewhere, according to informed sources, around a hundred clashes took place between the protesters and police/security forces across the Valley including in the capital city. Some peaceful demonstrations were also reported from South Kashmir. Reports said that participants waved Pakistani flags and shouted pro-Pakistan, pro-Azadi and anti-India slogans in all the peaceful and violent demonstrations.
Official sources said that 55 injured persons were admitted to SMHS and around 50 were treated at other hospitals in the Valley. In all, around 200 persons are estimated to have sustained injuries in over 100 clashes at different places. Curfew was not in force anywhere in the Valley but the separatists-sponsored shutdown continued on 54th day.
