KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
54th consecutive day of mass anti-India uprising witnessed intensity in pro-freedom protests across Kashmir. Army shot dead one more youth, taking the civilian death toll to 72 since July 09, 2016 while over 250 civilians were injured across Kashmir during protests and clashes.
Army on Wednesday morning shot dead a youth and injured five others on Wednesday morning in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
The slain was identified as Danish Manzoor (22) of Nadihal village of district Baramulla.
A doctor at District Hospital Baramulla said that Danish succumbed to injuries at the hospital.
He said that five more injured were brought to the hospital.
“Three of them have been referred to Srinagar for specialized treatment.”
Reports and witnesses said that stone-pelting protests erupted in the area after forces denied passage to the fruit-laden trucks in the area.
They said that forces moved into the village where they ransacked the houses and beat up the inmates.
To protest against the “excesses”, angry youths staged protests in the Nadihal village. The forces, they said, responded by firing their guns, leading to death of one person and injuries to at least five more people.
Two of the five injured persons were identified as Idrees Ahmad Malik (14), s/o Altaf Ahmad and Ishaaq Bashir Lone (25), both residents of Ladoora Baramulla.
Eyewitnesses said that forces including Rashtriya Rifles personnel from 32 RR Trugpora army camp had entered Nadihal village beating local populace, damaging the private property.
“Danish was injured when army opened fire,” locals said, “two others were injured and the trio was rushed to Baramulla district hospital.”
Danish was a first year student studying Humanities at Baramulla Degree College. The slain college-goer was eldest among his siblings, including a brother Aquib Manzoor studying in Class 9, and a sister. His father, Manzoor A Lone, is a labourer.
“He was on way to tuitions in Baramulla when army fired bullets on him,” locals said. “Danish was targeted when bullet hit him near BDO office Nadihal.”
Danish succumbed to his injuries in Baramulla hospital. Thousands of people amid pro-freedom slogans participated in his last rites.
When contacted, SP Sopore Harmeet Singh Mehta said that an Army convoy on way to Kupwara from Srinagar was “attacked by protesters at Ladoora and Nadihal”.
“Army informed us that they fired in air. We found six people with injuries who were shifted to hospital where one youth succumbed to his injuries,” he said and added that after the intervention from police, Army convoy passed through the area.
Ahead of the civilian killing, intense clashes erupted outside Fruit Mandi Sopore on early morning after vehicles carrying fruits were stopped by forces.
According to reports, the authorities had asked the fruit sellers to open the fruit stands after 9 am instead of the 7 am and the Army had stopped the vehicles laden with apples.
This angered the people and started raising pro-freedom slogans.
Forces fired teargas and pellets to disperse off the protesters. Hundreds of vehicles returned from the fruit Mundi without selling the produce.
Mushtaq Ahmad, the president of Fruit Mundi Sopore said, “we have been opening the Fruit Mundi in early morning and now we are being told to open it after 9 am. Army and forces stopped our fruit vehicles today and did not allow people to enter. So, we decided to close the Mandi.”
Reports of clashes also came in from Bandipora district.
Reports and witnesses said that clashes broke out after the forces started clearing the blockades erected by the protesters near the Nowpora chowk.
While the protesters hurled rocks in Old Jamia area of the town, the forces responded by bursting teargas shells.
A minor girl sustained injuries after a teargas shell exploded in front of her in Kaloosa area of Bandipora in north Kashmir on Wednesday.
The girl, identified as 15-year-old Nazia Rashid, is being treated at Sub-district Hospital Bandipora.
A pro-freedom rally was held at Hajin area of Bandipora district.
Following the resistance groups call, the people of the area offered the Namaz Zuhr on road at main market Hajin.
Soon after completion of Namaz people held a massive protest in which they raised pro-freedom and anti-India slogans.
The rally later passed though different localities in the area which was led by jointly by pro freedom activists in the area. The protesters later dispersed peacefully.
A pro-freedom rally was also organized in Naidkhai Sumbal that was attended by thousands of people. The rally culminated peacefully.
Reports from South Kashmir said that the arrests, ransacking and raids by police sparked massive protests in SK Colony and Anchidora areas of Islamabad district.
The locals alleged forces ransacked household goods, smashed windowpanes and picked up two elderly men from SK Colony and Anchidora areas.
Raids were also reported from nearby Dabruna village where an elderly man, Farooq Ahmad Dar, was picked up after the forces raided his house in the pursuit of his son.
Another elderly man was picked up from his residence in Anchidora area, said a local. Reports of stone-pelting also came from Kadipora Islamabad.
Reports from Kulgam district said that at least 25 persons were wounded in police action.
Witnesses said that in a bid to thwart a proposed pro-freedom rally, the government forces raided the venue during the dead of the night and ransacked the stage and uprooted the erected tents at Katrosu Kulgam.
As the people came to know about the presence of police, they hit to roads and clashed with them resulting in intense clashes. Witnesses said that despite the police action people assembled at the venue in the village and staged a massive protest there.
Several people were injured in clashes in different parts of Kulgam district including Tangabal, Mahipora, Nasu, Mughalgund, Kadipora, Parigam and Batapora areas.
Over 50 persons were injured in clashes with the forces in Qaimoh and Aishmuqam areas of south Kashmir districts of Kulgam and Islamabad, respectively.
Reports and witnesses said that over 40 persons were injured in clashes that erupted after forces vandalized the venue of a proposed pro-freedom rally in Karshangam village of Aishmuqam.
The injured have been shifted to SDH Seer and Muqam for treatment.
In a similar incident, over a dozen people were injured during clashes in Khudwani village of Qaimoh in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district. They said that two people have suffered pellet injuries in eyes and head.
In Chawalgam area, angry protestors set a house and its annexe on fire. It beloned to ruling PDP’s sitting Rajya Sabha MP Nazir Ahmad Laway.
Reports from Pulwama district said that more than 25 people were wounded in violent clashes.
The protesters were protesting against the occupation of an educational institute by Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel.
The protesters demanded immediate relocation of forces personnel.
Witnesses said that forces showered pellets on the protesters injuring more than two dozen people.
Some of the injured who were shifted to Srinagar hospitals have suffered pellet injuries in eyes. Clashes and protests were also reported from Rajpora and Newa Pulwama.
At least five persons were injured when forces used force in South Kashmir’s Shopian district.
Reports said that protests erupted in Aarhama area of the district when forces came to “clear the road blockade”. Soon clashes erupted in the area and forces used pellets, reports said.
Five persons were rushed to district hospital Shopian where they were given first aid.
“Two of the injured have been rushed to a Srinagar hospital,” hospital sources said. “One of the two has been hit in eyes.”
Reports from Srinagar said that a massive pro-freedom procession was carried out by youth from Nowhatta area of old city that was stopped by police near Khanyar triggering clashes.
Forces, according to witnesses, fired tear-gas shells to disperse the protesters who were carrying green flags and raising anti-India slogans.
Witnesses added that two senior photojournalists, Farooq Javed Khan and Waseem Andrabi, sustained injuries while covering these clashes.
Khan, who works for EPA, has sustained injures in left shoulder while Andrabi, a Hindustan Times staffer has sustained injures on rib cage.
In a similar case, a scribe, Saleem Qadri, was beaten by rougue youth in Nutnussa area of Kupwara district while he had gone to cover some story. He said that his motor cycle was damaged beyond repair.
In Budgam, Zuhr prayers were offered on road that was led by senior separatist leader Aga Syed Hasan Almosvi Alsafvi. Soon after completion of Namaz, people held a massive protest in which they raised pro-freedom and anti-India slogans.
In Kupwara, a massive pro-freedom rally was held in Sogam area which was addressed by Hurriyat patriarch Syed Ali Geelani telephonically. (With inputs from Current News Service.)
