Srinagar: Life remained adversely affected for the 106th consecutive day in the Valley due to separatist called protest shutdown. Police said that there were no curbs and curfew imposed in any part of the Valley, though heavy contingent of security personnel were deployed in restive areas to maintain law and order.
Shops, business establishments, schools and colleges remained shut though private vehicles were seen plying in some parts of Srinagar city.
Clashes broke out in Maisuma for the first time during the current uprising when protesters demanded medical aid for incarcerated Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Yasin Malik who has been detained in Central Jail Srinagar. Dozens of women and men staged a protest in Maisuma locality of Srinagar to demand medical aid to the ailing leader. Witnesses said that police chased away the protesters and detained some to break up the protesters.
Clashes between the government forces and protesters erupted in a Shopian village in south Kashmir on Saturday.
They said that police and paramilitary forces fired dozens of teargas shells to disperse the protesters. With the help of army, the minister could finally move ahead, they said.
Reports reaching here said that clashes erupted in Heff Shirmal area of the district soon after forces completed door to door searches.
Local sources said that army, CRPF and police personnel early today cordoned off Heff Shirmal village and conducted searches.
As the forces started leaving the village, people came on streets and raised slogans against what they called harassing people.
Forces immediately swung into action and tried to disperse the protesters however they pelted stones on them.
Forces fired tear smoke shells and when protests intensified they fired in air creating panic in the area.
A PDP minister was stranded for half an hour after protesters attacked his cavalcade with stones in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district. Protesters reportedly hurled rocks at the cavalcade of Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Abdul Haq Khan at Saderkoot Bala while he was on way to Srinagar after convening an official meeting.
At least 15 persons including a 12 years old boy was injured after government forces resorted to tear-smoke and pellet shelling in Palhalan Pattan area of North Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
As per the eyewitnesses shortly after a ‘pro-freedom’ rally ended, government forces reached the spot and fired pellets and tear-smoke shells. Some 15 people suffered injuries. Later, the injured were taken to Sub-District Hospital Pattan. Six of the injured including a 12 year old boy were referred to SMHS Hospital Srinagar.
Stone-pelting incidents were also reported from Sadarkoot and Mirgund areas of North Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
A police official said that barring few stray incidents of stone-pelting the situation remained peaceful.
Police Version On Saturday Situation
According to a statement issued by the Zonal Police Headquarters Kashmir, situation remained normal and peaceful across the valley on saturday.
“There was good movement of traffic and people in Srinagar and other main towns of the valley. Shops were seen open and doing their normal business in many parts of the valley including Srinagar City,” the press statement said.
The statement said that in order to instil confidence among the commuters and vehicle owners adequate deployment of police and security forces was made at vulnerable points in Srinagar city, in main towns as also on the road, lanes and bylanes connecting different places.
Last evening, driver of a Tempo Farooq Ahmad Khanday resident of Iqbal Colony-A Eidgah reported in Police Station Safakadal, Srinagar that some miscreants hurled a petrol bomb upon his vehicle bearing registration number JK01V/4980, which was parked outside his house. This resulted in damage to the vehicle. A case FIR number 137/16 was registered and investigation was taken up, the press statement said.
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