Another youth killed in CRPF firing in Sopore

Demonstrators violate curfew, attack CRPF amid anti-India slogans on PAS

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Jun 27: Apple town Sopore in north Kashmir has turned tense as yet another youth got killed when demonstrators violated curfew, shouted anti-India and pro-Islam slogans on public address system of different mosques and attacked Police and CRPF positions. With the death of 25-year-old, Bilal Ahmed Wani of Kralteng (Sopore), in CRPF firing this evening, as many as six youth have died in the last 10 days in paramilitary forces’ firing on demonstrators in Kashmir valley.

Reeling under second consecutive day of curfew, Sopore remained a flashpoint of trouble today inspite of peace all over the Valley. Curfew had been imposed on Sopore by District Magistrate of Baramulla immediately after two militants died in an overnight gunfight with security forces and two civilian demonstrators died during a clash with CRPF on 25th evening.

Informed sources told Early Times that people in different localities of Sopore violated curfew, engaged Police and CRPF in intermittent clashes, attacked Police and CRPF positions and shouted pro-Azadi, pro-Islam and anti-India slogans through PAS of local mosques. Police and CRPF used tearsmoke and baton charge to disperse the crowds of scores of demonstrators.

Sources said that at 1845 hours this evening, a mob of nearly 200 people shouted anti-India slogans and attacked a Police-CRPF position at Muslim Pir, Kralteng. In retaliation, CRPF and Police used teargas canisters. When the stand-off intensified, CRPF fired rubber bullets. A 25-year-old youth, Bilal Ahmed Wani S/o Mohammad Maqbool Wani R/o Kralteng, got hit in his neck. He was evacuated and rushed to SMHS Hospital in Srinagar where doctors declared him as ‘brought dead’.

Medical Superintendent of SMHS Hospital, Dr Waseem Qureshi, told Early Times that Wani was found dead on his arrival. He said that doctors who examined the dead body observed a gunshot wound in the neck. Dead body was thereafter carried to Police Hospital at Police Control Room premises. Sources said that after post mortem at Police Hospital, dead body would be sent to Sopore for funeral rites.

Sopore erupted on a day when three-time MLA-turned separatist leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, had asked the Kashmiris to write “Go India Go Back” slogan on roads and walls to press their “popular demand” of withdrawal of the Indian armed forces from Jammu & Kashmir. Reports said that there was little impact of Geelani’s call. At a couple of places in the capital city, less than half-a-dozen burqa-clad Dukhtaraan-e-Millat activists were seen painting such anti-India slogans. Detained Hurriyat (G) Chairman, Geelani has called for “Sopore Chalo” on Monday, asking people to stage a march to the apple town from every nook and corner of Kashmir valley.

With today’s fatal casualty in Sopore, as many as six young civilians have died in different incidents of firing by CRPF in the Valley in the last 10 days. Eighteen-year-old student, Tufail Ahmed Matoo of Sayeeda Kadal (Srinagar) had got killed in an incident of teargas shelling allegedly by Police and CRPF at Rajouri Kadal on June 11th. Another teenager, Rafeeq Ahmed Bangroo of Dana Mazar (Srinagar), who had sustained critical injuries in a violent clash of demonstrators (protesting Matoo’s killing) with CRPF died at SKIMS Soura on June 18th. Immediately after Matoo’s burial, residents of the downtown locality clashed with CRPF and torched a paramilitary bunker. CRPF opened fire in which another youth, namely Javed Ahmed Malla, got killed.

On June 25th, residents of Krankshival Colony of Sopore clashed with CRPF over the death of two militants in a 20-hour-long gunbattle near Chhan Khan bridge in the apple town. When a mob attacked a CRPF unit and torched the escort Gypsy of a Commanding Officer, CRPF opened fire. Two local youth, namely Shakeel Ahmed Ganai of Lalad and Firdaus Ahmed Khan of Ningli, got killed and four others sustained injuries in the shootout.

While the residents were preparing for the two youth’s Rasm-e-Chaharum (4th day ceremony), scheduled to be held on the day of Geelani’s “Sopore Chalo” call on Monday, yet another youth, Bilal Ahmed Wani, died in CRPF firing.

Officials in north Kashmir said that with additional deployment of CRPF, Police and paramilitary enforced curfew strictly late this evening. Residents said that CRPF went berserk, roughed up civilians and damaged several vehicles, including that of KNS correspondent, while enforcing curfew in the aftermath of today’s shootout. They maintained that curfew would continue on the third consecutive day tomorrow without any relaxation in entire Sopore township.

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