Srinagar: Scores of people on Monday were injured as clashes and protests continued across Kashmir on the 59th day of civil uprising amid curfew and lockdown.
Since early morning, several thousand personnel of police and CRPF were deployed across Old City of Srinagar, Maisuma, Lal Chowk and Batamalo areas who enforced curfew-like restrictions.
The forces personnel were also deployed in all the sensitive parts of the city to prevent protests.
According to witnesses, police in city’s Palpora Noorbagh area resorted to heavy teargas shelling and pellet firing this morning as protesters had gathered to march towards Eidgah to commemorate 4th day of a teenager, Danish Haroon, who died due to drowning after being chased away by forces. The police along CRPF used teargas against hundreds of protesters and managed to foil the march.
The witnesses said that the youth in retaliation hurled rocks on forces, ensuing clashes at Noorbagh and Waniyar areas. The clashes continued for several hours during which 10 persons sustained injuries. All the injured however are stated be stable.
The clashes also erupted in Muchoo and Bagh-e-Mehtab areas of City outskirts after forces foiled ‘Bagh-e-Mehtab chalo’ call today in the morning. The locals of the area said that police vandalized the rally venue and resorted to heavy pepper and teargas shelling at Muchoo after which clashes broke out in the area. Around six protesters were injured in the clashes. A rally was organized by people at Aarath in Budgam district and protests against forces broke out at Ganderbal district of central Kashmir.
In south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, massive clashes broke out at Zanglipora, Mattan and Kokernag areas. According to reports, seventeen persons were injured at Zanglipora during clashes while house of a local policeman was also set ablaze by angry protesters. Reports said that the clashes raged after forces foiled a rally that was scheduled to take place in the village.
Nearly 20 persons were injured as forces rained pellets on protesters at Pahalpora, Zonglipora and Pirpora villages of Kulgam district. Earlier clashes erupted in the area against the alleged forces excesses. Reports of clashes between youths were also received from Qazigund, Tahab in Pulwama and Gagran in Shopian. Many people received injuries during these clashes.
More than 80 people were injured after forces fired pellets into a rally in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district. The action came as Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said that the government has given PAVA shells as an alternative to pellet guns.
Witnesses and reports said that forces ransacked the venue, barged into the houses in Zonglipora village during an overnight raid where they vandalized the property and thrashed the inmates.
“When we tried to take out the rally, the forces fired pellets to foil it,” said a local.
He said that dozens of people were hit by pellets. Witnesses said that agitated protesters caused damage to the house of a police man (SPO Javaid Shan) at Zonglipora after a rumour about the death of a youth spread in the area. He added that after attacking the house the protesters set it ablaze.
In north Kashmir’s Baramaulla district, clashes between anti-India protesters and forces raged at Cement Bridge in Main Town, Palhallan, Pattan, Tappar and Warpora Sopore during which many protesters were injured as forces resorted to teargas and pellet firing. Reports of major pro-freedom rally being taken out were received from Batengoo Sopore.
Massive stone-throwing clashes broke out between forces and protesters at Lalpora and Dardpora areas of frontier Kupwara district in which nearly 50 persons were injured. Police however said that only 10 persons were injured. Reports said that forces resorted to heavy pellet firing and teargas shelling at Lalpora and Dardpora. The mobile network in the area was also snapped by authorities, the locals informed.
The stone-throwing clashes also broke out at Papchhan, Aloosa, Hajin, Sumbal and in Main Town of north Kashmir’s Bandipora district between youth protesters and government forces. Several people sustained minor injuries in these clashes. Besides, several peaceful protests were held at many parts of the Valley amid complete shutdown.
Chilli-Filled Shells To Replace Pellets
Security forces will use shells full of a chilli compound in place of shotgun pellets, to control crowds in Kashmir, home minister Rajnath Singh said on Monday, after widespread use of the weapons wounded thousands and sparked a global outcry.
More than 8000 people have been wounded and many killed by shotgun pellets since protests erupted in the valley in early July, with more than 100 left partially or fully blinded, official figures show.
Doctors say most cases go unreported, and critics want the government to use less harmful ammunition.
"The committee has given its suggestions and the alternative of the non-lethal weapon has been suggested as PAVA shells," Singh told reporters as he led an all-party delegation to Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir.
He said security forces would begin using the shells, made of a compound found naturally in chilli powder, after a panel of experts decided they were sometimes a better alternative to pellet guns.
The chilli compound, when fired, is thought to cause severe irritation and temporarily immobilise the target.
Singh said, "I think that won't result in the death of anyone. Since yesterday, 1,000 shells have already arrived here."
Although pellet guns are designed to be non-lethal weapons, police officers told reporters that security forces are often forced to use them at close range to protect themselves from mob attacks.
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