3 killed, 2 critical among 300 injured in Valley
Mobs set Police Station, vehicle on fire; clashes at over 50 places

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Jul 30: In fresh spate of mob attacks on Police and violent clashes between demonstrators and armed forces, three more civilians have died and around 300 sustained injuries---two of them critically---as Kashmir valley witnessed yet another separatist-sponsored shutdown and state-enforced curfew today. With the violent mobs torching a Police Station and a Police vehicle in Pattan area of Baramulla district today, authorities have re-imposed curfew in capital city of Srinagar as also some other major towns in apprehension of further escalation in violence and street clashes.

Even as the state Police was in complete disarray and both, headless department of Information as well as the Police headquarters, remained tightlipped, informed sources told Early Times that three civilians got killed and two more, with critical injuries, were battling for life at SKIMS. These sources said that nearly 300 people, including 50-odd Police and CRPF personnel, were estimated to have sustained injuries in today’s clashes between violent crowds and armed forces all over the Valley.

As almost all separatist outfits and politicians have treated Omar Abdullah government’s Court of Inquiry into seventeen civilian deaths with contempt, hardliner Hurriyat (Geelani) had called for a mass march to Srinagar midtown locality of Maisuma today. Detained hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani has been issuing such calls and shutdown calendars as part of his “Quit Jammu & Kashmir Movement” since last month. With three deaths happening today, as many as 20 civilians, mostly youth, have got killed in Police and CRPF action since June 11th.

With downtown Srinagar reeling under curfew and restrictions on the common civilian movement being in force in uptown and few other major townships, Valley observed umpteenth shutdown today. Most of the educational institutions, government offices, banks and private businesses remained shut and transport was off the road. Reports, awaiting official confirmation, said that scores of civilian and official vehicles were damaged by the groups enforcing shutdown at hundreds of spots on different roads, including Srinagar-Jammu National Highway. Those found in movement in defiance of the call for shutdown, were humiliated and severely thrashed.

Repeated attempts to get an official version of the day’s violent incidents failed as none of the Police or civil officials responded to phone calls. There was no official release from the government either. However, officials in Police and CID, who insisted to remain unidentified in media, told this newspaper that two to three hundred people gathered at Chhanapora and led a march towards Maisuma while shouting anti-India, anti-forces, pro-Azadi and pro-Islam slogans. As soon as CRPF blocked the way, scores of people in the procession resorted to heavy stone pelting. Police and CRPF used firing in air, teargas shells and retaliatory stone pelting to break the crowds.

After a number of demonstrators and paramilitary personnel sustained injuries in the bitter clash, CRPF opened fire. A 22-year-old youth, namely Mohammad Iqbal Khan S/o Abdul Majid Khan R/o Chhanpora sustained critical gunshot injuries. Reports, awaiting official confirmation, said that seven others sustained gunshot wounds of relatively lesser intensity. Medical Superintendent at SKIMS, Dr Syed Amin Tabish, told Early Times that Khan had been hit in his head and other parts of his body. He said that Khan had been put on a ventilator and described his condition as critical. Sources said that, in all, nearly 30 people, including a dozen of Police and CRPF personnel sustained injuries in the clash at Chhanapora.

In second violent incident of the day, sources said, hundreds of people gathered at Amargarh, in outskirts of Sopore township, and began marching the local railway station. A fierce clash took place between the demonstrators and CRPF. The CRPF under fierce attack from the mob, opened fire. Over a dozen demonstrators sustained gunshot wounds. Two of them were later declared as dead at SMHS Hospital in Srinagar. They were identified as 17-year-old Shaukat Ahmed Wagay S/o Abdul Hamid Wagay and 50-year-old Mohammad Ahsan Ganai.

In third major incident of the day, a mob of over 500 people raided a Police Post at Potkhah in Sopore-Pattan belt. Even as the Police personnel escaped and did not react, the mob caused severe damage to a parked 407 vehicle of the Police Post. Reports said that some people set it on fire. However, authoritative sources maintained that the vehicle was severely damaged in stone pelting and the crowds withdrew when CRPF reached the spot.

In fourth violent incident of the day, a mob of over one thousand people stormed Police Station Pattan on Srinagar-Baramulla highway. Middle rung Police officers said that the crowds left over a dozen Policemen, including SHO Pattan, wounded. When they were left between opening fire and running for the life, they preferred the latter. Sources said that almost all Policemen posted at the destroyed Police Station were not reachable when senior Police officers made frantic efforts through telephone and wireless to learn about their condition. Residents said that one building gutted completely. Quoting Fire Brigade officials, they said that records and arms and ammunition were also believed to have been destroyed.

With none of the officially reachable for comment, informed sources said that CRPF reached the spot and used heavy baton charge, teargas shelling and firing to disperse the crowds. They said that one 15-year-old boy, Mohammad Rafeeq Bhat S/o Ghulam Mohammad Bhat R/o Palhalan got killed and over a dozen others were injured. Some of the injured were admitted to the local Sub District Hospital but those having sustained critical injuries were rushed to different hospital in Srinagar.

MS at SKIMS, Dr Tabish, said that a 23-year-old, Nazir Ahmed, was battling for life as he had got hit into his head. He said that doctors were providing best possible treatment to Mohammad Iqbal Khan of Chhanpora and Nazir Ahmed of Pattan but there were remote prospects of their survival. He said that in all 10 civilian, who had sustained gunshot and other wounds at Pattan, were admitted at SKIMS. While one of them, namely Nazir Ahmed, was critical, another person with fractures was referred to Bone & Joint Hospital Barzullah. Residents of Pattan alleged that CRPF thrashed whoever came their way and even roughed up patients and attendants at the local hospital.

Official sources said that unidentified persons in two crowds, at Baramulla and Tral, fired pistol shots. According to them, one constable sustained gunshot wounds but Police observed restraint for fear of civilian casualties. Sources said that over two thousand people gathered at Khankah-e-Faiz Panah in Tral and they shouted pro-Azadi, pro-Islam, anti-India and anti-forces slogans. There was later a bitter clash between the crowd and CRPF in which over 30 people, including 18 CRPF personnel, sustained injuries.

In all, anti-India and pro-Azadi demonstrations and clashes between the crowds and Police/CRPF were reported from nearly 50 spots in Baramulla, Sopore, Srinagar, Budgam, Pulwama, Shopian and Anantnag districts in Kashmir valley today. However, the violent separatist groups did not interfere with the movement of regular Army. Army patrols and convoys were seen moving on different routes without any disruption or attack from the mobs.

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