Kashmir Media Watch (KMW) is an electronic newspaper cum news agency

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Boy succumbs, toll reaches 60,Firing in Sopore, Soura; 40 hurt

Srinagar, 19 Aug 2010: A minor boy who was hit by a bullet during a clash between protests and the forces in Lazibal area of South Kashmir’s Islamabad district last week succumbed to injuries at the SK Institute of medical sciences on Thursday morning taking the toll in the two-month unrest to 60.

Elsewhere more than forty people, including two girls were injured in CRPF and police firing.

Kulgam boy succumbs
Nine -year-old Milad, son of Muhammad Amin Dar of Wanpora, Khudwani in Kulgam district was injured last weekend when CRPF troops and police opened fire upon pro-freedom demonstrators in Lazibal area of the district killing a youth Irshad Ahmad Latoo.

Milad was rushed to SKIMS for specialized treatment. However, after battling with life for six consecutive days, he succumbed to injuries this morning.

When the body of the boy was brought to his hometown, thousands of people of Khudwani, Qaimoh, Wanpoh, Redwani and adjoining areas defied the curfew and staged massive pro-freedom and anti-India demonstrations. Chanting “Milad your blood will bring revolution,” “Salam-O-Martyrs,” “We want freedom,” and anti-India slogans, the people were protesting the killing of the minor.

Amid thundering slogans and heart wrenching scenes, the boy was laid to rest at his ancestral graveyard in the village.

After the boy was laid to rest, violent clashes broke out on several areas of the neighboring Islamabad district.

CRPF and police fired warning shots after they failed to quell the protesters with tear smoke shells at Harnag, Muniward, Malapora, Poshwara and Batpora.

Protests also broke out in KP road, Sarnal, Lazibal, Naibasti, Malakhnag, Cheeni Chowk, Mattan chowk Rishi Bazar, Dangerpora, Lal Chowk and other areas of the district when the troops and police were withdrawn from the areas.

At least six people were injured in the clashes between protests and the forces.

Reports of protests and clashes were also received from Pulwama and Shopian districts of South Kashmir.

RAF opens fire in Sopore, 5 hurt
At least five people were injured when paramilitary RAF opened fire upon a group of protesters in Seelu area of Sopore town this afternoon.

KMW correspondent from North Kashmir said that hundreds of people, including women and small children defied curfew and came out on streets in Seelu area of Baramulla district this afternoon and staged pro-freedom and anti-India demonstrations.

Chanting “We want freedom,” “Go India Go Back,” “Islam Zindabad,” and pro-Geelani and anti-India slogans, the protesters tried to march on the streets of area. However, a contingent of Rapid Action Force (RAF) that was deployed in advance to scuttle demonstrations opened fire after they failed to disperse the protesters with teargas canisters.

At least five people were hit by the rubber bullets fired by the RAF personnel.

The injured have been identified as Farooq Ahmad, Tauseef Ahmad, Naveed Ahmad, Tanveer Ahmad and Tariq Ahmad.

Farooq was rushed to Srinagar’s Bone and Joint Hospital for treatment.
However, police said that the forces fired rubber they came under stone pelting in by a huge mob in the area this afternoon. Four of the injured, the officials said were discharged from Sopore hospital after first aid.

Earlier in the day, violent clashes and protests erupted in Singhpora area of the district
Reports said hundreds of people assembled on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad highway near Singhpora, Pattan and staged pro-freedom and anti-India demonstrations.

Shouting pro-freedom and anti-India slogans, the people were protesting against the forces for allegedly pushing a youth Bilal Ahmad Bhat to the death bed.

The protesters also blocked the highway to lodge their anger.

Forces burst tear smoke shells and cane charged the protesters to clear the highway.

In retaliation, protesters pelted rocks and stones on the forces sparking off violent clashes that continued for several hours.

Two Karvaan-e-Aman buses were also caught in the clashes between protesters and the forces.

Teenager among 24 injured in Srinagar firing
At least twenty four people were injured, seven with bullets, when CRPF and police opened random fire upon a group of demonstrators near the shrine of Jenab Sahib Soura in this capital city this afternoon.

Eyewitnesses said hundreds of men, women and children of Dula Bagh, Dar Mohalla, Ganai Mohalla, Khaleel Colony, Haji Bagh and its adjoining areas took to streets this afternoon and staged pro-freedom and anti-India demonstrations.

Chanting slogans in favor of Independence, the protesters were demanding the removal of the CRPF picket from the area.

The protesters alleged that the troops were harassing the people and preventing them from offering prayers at the shrine of Astan Sahib Soura.

As the protests were going on, CRPF troops and police deployed in advance lobbed tear smoke shells and opened indiscriminate fire upon the protesters.  At least three members of a family were injured in the forces firing.

They have been identified as Habibullah, his daughter Sumaira and daughter in-law Fatima. All the injured were rushed to SK Institute of medical sciences for specialized treatment. The forces also beat to pulp at least nine people. Eight of them were rushed to SKIMS.
“The teenager girl has suffered firearm injury.

Her condition remains critical,” a doctor who was attending the injured girl told Press Bureau of India.

The CRPF and police firing, eyewitnesses said triggered off massive protests in the area. Hundreds of youth shouting pro-freedom slogans hurled rocks and stones on the forces. The ding-dong clashes continued for several hours in the area.

“The procession was totally peaceful when forces without any provocation fired upon it. There was a complete chaos in the area,” Shah Imran, an eyewitness said.

“CRPF and police went berserk. They barged into residential houses and thrashed the inmates including women and small children. Window panes of several houses were also damaged,” he added.

Shah said that to quell the demonstrations, police cut-off electricity supply to several areas of Soura and Buchpora.

“A senior police official had asked the Power Development Department (PDD) officials of the receiving station to shut the electricity supply to the area.

The area is reeling under darkness. People can’t offer Taraweeh prayers,” he added.

Late evening reports said that twelve persons were injured when CRPF opened fire and baton charged the protesters. Four of the 12 injured sustained bullet wounds and have been admitted in SKIMS.

Earlier in the day, violent clashes broke out between protesters and forces in Dalgate, Rainawari, Nishat and other areas of the city.

At Rainawari CRPF and police burst tear smoke shells to disperse hundreds of people who staged pro-freedom demonstrations after offering Gaibana Nimaz-e-Jinaza (prayers in absentia) for the 60 people who were slain in the CRPF and police firing since last two months. At least three people were injured as the protesters played hide and seek game with the forces in the congested lanes and by lanes of the Rainawari locality.

At Dalgate, eighth standard student identified as Basit Ahmad, son of Noor Mohammad Langoo of Buchwara was arrested during a clash between protesters and the forces.

The arrest of the school boy brought scores of women on the streets. Shouting slogans, the women protesters were demanding the release of school boy.

Protests and clashes also broke out in many parts of the city when the CRPF and police were withdrawn.

Situation peaceful: Police
In a handout issued here this evening, a police spokesman said that barring few incidents of stone pelting in Baramulla and Srinagar, the situation across the valley remained by and large peaceful. The spokesman said that a huge mob pelted stone son the picket of CRPF near Jinab Sahib and tried to dismantle it.

“Police and the forces used tear smoke and cane charge to disburse the mob. But it was regrouping and pelting stones very heavily. In self defense forces had to fire in self defense.

Three people and five policemen were injured in the incident,” the spokesman said.
“In the day long skirmishes 15 people including 8 civilians and five policemen were injured. Two CRPF personnel including an Assistant Commandant S. K. Dass were injured in Sopore and Chinkipora,” he added.

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