Army taking over highway, RAF towns as 4 more killed in firing
After burning Police Stations, mobs torch houses of JKP cops

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Aug 3: In a significant measure of fire fighting, government is deploying Army to control the entire highway from Banihal to Uri and Rapid Action Force to assist Police and CRPF in Srinagar and other major towns even as four more civilians today got killed in different incidents of curfew violation and resultant firing and another persons, earlier injured in a blast at Khrew on Sunday last, has breathed his last at a hospital today.

Nobody in Police and civil administration has been responding to phone calls from journalists since Sunday last but official sources, having access to information, told Early Times that four more people, attacking Police, CRPF and public properties, got killed today and over a hundred others injured in different incidents of violence across Valley. One Riyaz Ahmed Bhat S/o Ghulam Nabi Bhat, who was among 30 people who had sustained injuries in an IED balst at Khrew on Sunday last, today died at SMHS Hospital. With this, as many as 45 civilians, mostly youngsters, have died in clashes with Police and CRPF in Kashmir Valley since June 11th.

Sources said that Meraj-ud-din Lone S/o Mohammad Maqbool Lone died on spot and Mohammad Yousuf Mir sustained injuries when a thick mob clashed with Police and CRPF at Barthana in Srinagar outskirts. Police and CRPF opened fire after the mob refused to break in half-an-hour of teargas shelling and persisted with its assault in violation of curfew.

One Suhai Ahmed Dar of Zainakote died when Police and CRPF opened fire on another unruly mob near Shalteng in Srinagar outskirts. Sources said that the mob left over a dozen Police and CRPF men injured and damaged two of their vehicles.

A class 9th student, namely Anees Khursheed Ganai S/o Khursheed Ahmed Ganai got killed in Police and CRPF firing on a procession of demonstrators at Narawara in downtown Srinagar. Authorities gave way to the procession of mourners for the 15-year-old’s funeral prayers at Jamia Masjid, followed by his burial at Iddgah. Hundreds of people, braving curfew and shouting pro-Azadi, pro-Islam and anti-India slogans, participated in the funeral rites.

Sources said that one Jehangir Ahmed Bhat S/o Mohammad Yousuf Bhat R/o Punjgam Yaripora died when Police and CRPF opened fire on yet another violent mob at Yaripora in Kulgam district. Over a dozen civilians, Police and CRPF personnel sustained injuries in the intermittent clashes. Sources said that minutes after the shootout, another angry crowd torched the residential house of one Shabir Ahmed Itoo and his brother. While one of them is reportedly a constable, another is working as SPO with Kulgam Police. Official sources said that torching of the residential house of the Police officials was being viewed with concern in the state police force that is now expecting mob attacks on the houses of the officials in insecure hamlets and villages.

Violent mobs, defying curfew and shouting pro-Azadi, pro-Islam and anti-India slogans also attacked Police and CRPF deployments and public properties at Bomai in Sopore and other places. Sources said that the crowds attacked and torched the Police posts at Soibug and Frisal. Reports said that a crowds also attempted to set on fire residential house of Minister of Agriculture Ghulam Hassan Mir in Tangmarg but his house-guards fired and repulsed the arsonists. Deserted houses of two displaced Pandits and a Naib Tehsildar’s office were destroyed in another blaze at Bumai in Sopore---residential village of socialite Sunanda Pushkar. Two Police posts were reportedly destroyed in fire at Singhpura Pattan and an office of Irrigation Department at Khwaja Bagh, Baramulla.

On the second consecutive day today, mobs attempted to set on fire Railway Station and staff quarters at Ompora-Rishipora in Budgam. However, Police and CRPF failed the attempts with intense firing. Anticipating trouble after fierce mob attacks on Monday, authorities had already in the morning today removed the families of the railway staff and arranged their transportation for Jammu. Official sources said that families of all railway employees have been shifted to Jammu and their residential cities outside in the wake of continuous mob attacks on Railway Stations at several places in the last one week.

At Barthana, mobs set on fire a motorcycle outside J&K Bank building. Residents said that the two-wheeler perished completely and the bank building also suffered some damage in the blaze. Reports said that the angry crowds torched CRPF bunkers at several places. At Wahibugh, Pulwama, a mob dismantled a displaced Pandit’s house, forcing the Police guards to vanish.

Meanwhile, highly placed official sources told early Times that a Unified Headquarters meeting took place on the second consecutive day late this evening here which was presided over by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. Senior Army, CRPF, BSF and J&K Police officials participated in the meeting. According to a decision taken in the meeting, Army was being deployed on entire national highway from Banihal to Uri, to regain control over the communication lifeline as also to relieve at least 15 companies of CRPF for deployment in other sensitive areas. Sources said that Army was likely to take full control of the highway that has remained in the control of unruly mobs, cutting supply lines of the security forces since last week.

Supplies and Amarnath pilgrims have been flowing on the highway only from 2300 hours to 0400 hours since last week.

Sources said that on the requisition of the state government, after consultations with the union government, at least seven companies of Rapid Action Force are expected to reach here anytime on Wednesday. These troops, who are actually specially trained components of CRPF in blue uniform, would assist J&K Police in the hypersensitive areas.

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