15 injured in Kashmir clashes

Srinagar: At least 15 people, including five policemen and a photo-journalist, were injured in clashes here between locals, protesting the killing of two youths in

Sopore, and security forces amid stringent restriction on the movement of people in the valley to prevent separatists from taking to the streets.

Breaking a strong security cordon, groups of people took to the streets at Baghat-e-Barzallah, Rambagh, Natipora and Batmaloo localities of the uptown city and clashed with security forces deployed in strength to maintain law and order, officials said.

The separatists had called for observance of a general strike today when the fourth day ceremony of two youths killed in the alleged Army firing on Saturday was being observed.

While security forces chased away stone-pelting groups at Natipora, they were engaged in pitched battles with youths at Baghat-e-Barzallah, Rambagh and Batmaloo, the sources said.

They said initially security forces used lathis and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse the stone pelting youths but when the agitation intensified, they fired warning shots to disperse the protestors.

In the clashes, five policemen and a photo-journalist, were injured at Baghat-e-Barzallah while nine protestors received injuries in lathicharge at Rambagh and Batmaloo localities, the sources said.

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They said the clashes between the two sides were continuing when last reports came.

Reports of protest demonstrations staged by people at other localities, including old Barzallah, were also received, the sources said, adding there were no reports of any untoward incident or injuries to anyone, the sources said.

Fearing trouble, authorities had imposed stringent restrictions on the movement of the people to prevent separatists from staging protest rallies and demonstrations on the fourth day ceremony of the two youths today.

Thousands of police and paramilitary forces have been deployed here and other major towns of the valley.

Mohammad Amin Tantray and Javid Ahmad were killed and another youth, Firdous Ahmad, was injured in a firing incident at Bumai-Sopore, 55 km from here, sparking off massive protest demonstrations prompting authorities to impose curfew in the town on Sunday.

The state government has already ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident while Army has also ordered a court of inquiry.

While locals alleged that the troops of 22 Rashtriya Rifles opened indiscriminate fire on the group of youth without any provocation, Army maintains that the two youths were killed in a cross-fire between the security forces and militants.

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In the wake of restrictions imposed by the administration and strike call by separatists, all shops and business establishments, government offices, banks, courts and semi-government institutions remained closed, officials said.

All modes of transport, including state road transport corporation buses, were off the roads in Srinagar and all district headquarters, including Baramulla, Kupwara,

Bandipora, Budgam, Ganderbal, Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam.

The hardline faction of Hurriyat Conference, led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani, had given a call for strike and peaceful protests against the killing of the two youths. The call was supported by another separatist group.

Government employees and residents alleged that security personnel were not allowing them to come out of their houses as if curfew had been imposed.

"Police vehicles fitted with public address system made a round of the city in the wee hours asking people not to venture out of their houses as curfew has been imposed", residents claimed.

Police, however, denied any report of curfew being imposed, saying security forces have been given strict orders not to allow gathering of four or more people at any place as section 144 of the CrPC was in force.

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Officials said preventive measures were being taken to maintain law and order and prevent loss of life or damage to property.

There is no report of any untoward incident from anywhere in the valley so far and the situation is under control, sources said.

Meanwhile, all top leaders of the two factions of Hurriyat Conference, including chairman of moderate faction Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, has been placed under house arrest since last evening.

Police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed outside the residence of Mirwaiz to prevent him from going to Sopore to join the mourners of the two youths.

Mirwaiz had announced that he would visit the town to express sympathy with the bereaved families.

The acting chairman of hardline faction of Hurriyat Mohammad Ashraf Sahrai is under house arrest since Sunday.