Several police stations have also been set on fire and their weapons looted in Anantnag, Kulgam and Shopian
New Delhi : Kashmir continued to be on the boil with five more people, including a cop, getting killed in violence on Sunday, raising the death toll to 20, even as curfew- like restrictions were in place and Mobile internet services remained suspended. The violence has damaged more than 40 government offices while several police stations have been set on fire and their weapons looted in areas like Anantnag, Kulgam and Shopian. In Kulgam district, there is complete breakdown of communication and even police wireless devices are defunct. The government has also ordered that internet series in the region should be disconnected.
Policemen appeared to be facing the brunt of public anger in the Valley. A police driver Feroz Ahmad was killed after a mob pushed his mobile bunker vehicle into river Jhelum at Sangam in Anantnag district. Efforts were on to fish out the body of the deceased cop. One more civilian was killed in a clash with security forces while another, who was injured on Saturday, succumbed to his injuries, police said. In another incident, a head constable of police was shot in both legs by militants on Saturday night at his residence in Tral area of Pulwama district, the official said.
Three policemen, who went missing after a large mob attacked a police station in Damhal Hanjipora yesterday, are still untraceable, state Education Minister Naeem Akhtar said. One more police post was burnt by some mobs today.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the situation and then spoke to Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti offering all Central assistance to deal with the situation.
Meanwhile, Union I&B Minister Venkaiah Naidu expressed surprise over the support for Wani. “We are really surprised that some people are trying to support those so-called protesters who are sympathising with the terrorists. He (Burhan Wani) is a Hizbul commander. How can any Indian have sympathy for such people? The government will not tolerate any such activity,” he said.
With violent protests unabated, there were fears of mounting tension as the fourth day after Wani’s death falls on Monday. This is in the backdrop of the fact that despite restrictions, a large number of people had gathered in Tral for Wani’s funeral on Saturday. The 22-year-old had become the face of new militancy in Kashmir, representing the disturbing profile of young, educated local boys taking up arms. He featured in videos circulated on Facebook and WhatsApp aimed at recruiting young Kashmiri men for terror.
On her part, Mehbooba Mufti virtually blamed the excessive use of force to control crowds for the death toll.” Disproportionate use of force for crowd control results in loss of precious lives and grave injuries which should be avoided at all costs,” she said.
PTI INPUT: The Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet, headed by Mehbooba Mufti, met and expressed anguish over the situation and the death of civilians in clashes. The government promised to investigate if there was any instance of disproportionate use of force by security forces even as it appealed to the people not to become tools in the machinations of instigators of violence.
The Cabinet also appealed to separatists, including Hurriyat Conference, as well as mainstream political parties like National Conference, Congress and CPI(M) to help restore normalcy “if they want peace in the state”.
The state police also urged protesters not to resort to violence, saying it does not bring the right consequences, and that it would like to avoid the killing of the youth.
Even as curfew-like restrictions remained in force, violence was reported from a number of places. An 18-year-old youth Irfan Ahmad Malik was critically injured in clashes between protestors and security forces at Newa in Pulwama this morning, a police official said. He was rushed to SMHS hospital here but succumbed to injuries.
An unidentified person was brought to district hospital Pulwama in a critical condition but succumbed to injuries, he said, adding efforts are on to ascertain his identity.
A police spokesman said the situation in valley remained under control though incidents of arson and mob attacks were reported.
He said it has been seen that in the garb of law and order situations, militants are firing and lobbing grenades on police and CRPF personnel. “Militants lobbed two grenades on CRPF deployed on law and order duties in Murran Chowk resulting in injuries to some CRPF personnel,” the spokesman said.
In Shopian, the vehicle of SP Shopian was fired upon and a grenade was also lobbed, he said, adding militants also fired upon the Police Post Uttressu.
He said a number of police establishments and camps were also attacked during the day, resulting in damage to the property and injuries to scores of Police and CRPF personnel.
The violence continued today despite restrictions imposed in most of Kashmir Valley, including many areas of Srinagar city and four districts of south Kashmir. The separatist-sponsored strike, which was extended for two more days yesterday, also affected normal life in Kashmir. Shops, private offices, business establishments and petrol pumps were shut, while government offices and banks witnessed thin attendance, the officials said.
