CRPF
C.O, ASP, DSP, SHO among 17 injured in mob-militant attack in Pulwama
Rajnath’s 2nd visit begins with 68th death of 47 days of Kashmir turbulence
Rajnath’s 2nd visit begins with 68th death of 47 days of Kashmir turbulence
Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
_______
SRINAGAR, Aug 24: With South Kashmir drifting further, as
many as 17 persons, including a Commanding Officer of Central Reserve Police
Force (CRPF) and an Additional Superintendent of Police, sustained injuries in
a joint attack from a crowd of demonstrators and some suspected militants while
as a young protester got killed in the Police action at district headquarters
of Pulwama on Wednesday when the union Home Minister Rajnath Singh arrived in Srinagar
on his second visit in a month. With this, death toll in the unceasing
turbulence of last 47 days, after the Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani’s
killing in an encounter on July 8, has reached 68.
Exactly when Rajnath Singh was landing in Sringar, a
major clash took place between protesters and Police and CRPF at Pinglena on
the outskirts of Pulwama town on Srinagar-Pulwama Road. Deputy Commissioner
Muneerul Islam told STATE TIMES that fearing a huge gathering of separatists
and possible violence at Pruchoo, on periphery of the district headquarters, Police
and CRPF had already decided to disallow a congregation. Local separatists had
called upon the people to gather at Pruchoo for paying tributes to Burhan Wani
and other militants, besides around 70 civilians killed in the last 7 weeks of
turbulence.
“In violation of the prohibitory orders, people from
different villages poured in amid stone pelting and clashes at around eight
places. At Pinglena, the unruly crowds clashed with Police and CRPF and
attempted to force their passage to Pruchoo. In retaliation to intense stone
pelting, Police and CRPF used tear gas and pump action guns to disperse the
crowds. It was during this clash that three of the protesters got injured. One
of them later succumbed to injuries”, DC Pulwama said.
The 19-year-old student, Amir Gul Mir s/o Ghulam Mohammad
Mir of Ratnipora, is the 68th person killed in the 47-day-long
turbulence in the Valley after Burhan Wani’s death. Amir had sustained critical
injuries and a part of his spleen had been removed by surgery when, on February
14, security forces had opened fire on a civilian crowd during the course of a
counterinsurgency operation at Lelhar. Two young civilians - twenty-year-old
Shaista (MA Urdu student) and 18-year-old Danish (B Tech student of IUST) - had
died in the firing. Aamir was among the protesters who had sustained injuries.
He had been lately discharged from hospital.
Sources said that two more protesters rushed to hospital
with pellet injuries were stable.
With the restrictions enforced around Pruchoo, organisers
made announcements on public address system of mosques in over a dozen village
around Pulwama, asking people to gather at the alternate venue of a stadium
near Degree College. Amid chaotic conditions, thousands of people in the rally marched
towards the town. They clashed with Police and CRPF when their way was blocked
close to the College entrance. When the clash was underway, Police said, suspected militants lobbed a hand grenade that exploded in front of a
Police-CRPF contingent.
Commanding Officer of CRPF 183 Bn, Vinay Anand Prakash,
Additional SP Azhar Baba, Dy SP Shafeeq Ahmad and SHO Pulwama Inspector Aadil
besides 13 others, including 8 constables, sustained splinter injuries. The
four injured officers were evacuated and airlifted to Army’s 92 Base Hospital
for medical treatment. Others were treated at District Hospital Pulwama.
However, some people who were part of the demonstration,
insisted that militants did not toss any grenade on the CRPF-Police contingent.
They claimed that some explosive device in Police and CRPF possession went off and that
caused minor injuries to the officers.
Sources said that in all, 40 civilian protesters were
injured in Wednesday’s clashes in Pulwama. Thousands of people participated in
Aamir’s funeral prayers, held at least three times.
While as over 10,000 people put up a demonstration at Pulwama,
around 6,000 gathered at Verinag. The rally was telephonically addressed by
senior separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani. Reports said that pro-Azadi,
pro-Pakistan and anti-India slogans were shouted in both the rallies while as several
participants waved Pakistani flags.
Significantly at Verinag, over a dozen former Panches and
Sarpanches announced that they had severed their allegiance to all the
mainstream political parties.
At Eidgah in Malangam village of Bandipore, over 3,000
people gathered to listen to some local separatist leaders who asked the
audiences to continue shutdown as per the calendar issued by separatist leaders
Geelani, Mirwaiz and Malik.
At Cement Bridge in Baramulla town a crowd of less
than 200 people shouted pro-Azadi and pro-Pakistan slogans before clashing with
Police and CRPF.
Official sources insisted that around 200 civilians sustained injuries of different intensities in a chain of clashes across Kashmir valley on Wednesday. These sources said that clashes and demonstrations took place at over 50 spots across valley. At Eidgah Turkawangam, separatists addressed a rally.
Official sources insisted that around 200 civilians sustained injuries of different intensities in a chain of clashes across Kashmir valley on Wednesday. These sources said that clashes and demonstrations took place at over 50 spots across valley. At Eidgah Turkawangam, separatists addressed a rally.
A Delhi-bound passenger, Shahid Habib Bhat of Nagam
Chadoura, was arrested at Srinagar airport. He
was whisked away to an undisclosed destination.
Police version
According to a statement issued by the Zonal Police Headquarters, Kashmir, eight incidents of stone pelting were reported from Pulwama, Budgam, Srinagar, Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipora.
It said that except for these incidents, the overall situation across the valley remained under control till filing of this report. “Apart from some police stations of Srinagar and town Anantnag there was increased movement of traffic on roads in rest of the valley,” the statement added.
END
Police version
According to a statement issued by the Zonal Police Headquarters, Kashmir, eight incidents of stone pelting were reported from Pulwama, Budgam, Srinagar, Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipora.
The statement said during stone pelting near Degree College
Pulwama, militants hiding in the mob fired and hurled two grenades on the
deployment resulting in injuries to 17 police and CRPF personnel and some
civilians. “The injured include CO 183 Bn CRPF, ASP Pulwama, DySP Pulwama and
SHO Pulwama,” the statement added.
It further reads that at Pinglina, Pulwama miscreants
assembled on road and started heavy stone pelting on the police and SF
deployment. In order to clear the road and chase the miscreants,
Police/Security forces were compelled to use some force, which caused injuries
to few miscreants. “One of them identified as Amir Gul Mir son of Ghulam
Mohammad Mir resident of Ratnipora succumbed to his injuries, the statement
said. In this incident a number of police and security forces personnel were
also injured,” the statement added.It said that except for these incidents, the overall situation across the valley remained under control till filing of this report. “Apart from some police stations of Srinagar and town Anantnag there was increased movement of traffic on roads in rest of the valley,” the statement added.
END
[Published
in today’s STATE TIMES]
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