The situation in Kashmir valley worsened further on Friday as a youth was killed and another seriously wounded in the firing opened by security forces in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district after protesters allegedly attacked an Army camp and tried to set it ablaze. The toll has now risen to five.
The slain youth, indentified as Arif Ahmad Dar, was part of a protest demonstration against the security forces at Natnusa. Another protester Showkar Ahmad Ganai was critically wounded when he was hit by a teargas shell in Kupwara.
The protests were held after Friday’s prayer in the district against the killing of four civilians, including a budding cricketer and a woman. Thousands of people took part in the demonstrations shouting pro-azaadi slogans.
Police said that protesters attacked an Army camp in the area by pelting stones and tried to set it on fire. In retaliation, the soldiers opened fire.
Five protesters were wounded in the firing and shifted immediately to hospital. Kupwara Block Medical Officer Dr Fareed said that among the wounded, Arif Ahmad Dar, 22, succumbed to his injuries. “Arif had received bullet wounds in the upper part of his legs,” Dr Fareed said.
Another youngster Showkat Ahmad Ganai, 18, was critically wounded when teargas shells lobbed by the security forces to disperse protesters in Kupwara hit him in his head.
The trouble started on April 12 when a teenage girl was spotted by a group of youngsters using a washroom near an Army bunker. They alleged that the girl was molested by soldiers that triggered instant protests in the area. However, in the video circulated by the police, the girl has denied that the Army jawans molested her and instead blamed the local youth for harassing her.
However, the protesters alleged that the girl was coerced by police to give the statement in the police station.
The situation is turning out to be a tough challenge for the Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP-BJP coalition Government that took charge of the affairs of the embattled State only 11 days ago on April 4. Despite curfew, restrictions and snapping internet services in sensitive areas, the protests are not showing any let up in the region.
The authorities clamped restrictions in several parts of Kashmir. The internet services remained disrupted except on broadband connections. Curfew also continued to remain in force in Handwara, langate and Kupwara towns of Kupwara district and Pulwama town in south Kashmir.
A heavy deployment of police and paramilitary CRPF were deployed on the roads in sensitive areas and blocked all the roads with barricades and concertina wires to curtail pedestrian and vehicular movement in these areas.
In old city Srinagar, clashes erupted between youth and forces in Habba Kadal area while the photojournalists also accused that the forces didn’t allow them to cover the clashes in the area.
The authorities put most of the separatist leaders including Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Syed Ali Geelani under house arrest.
The separatists have called for shutdown on Saturday against the latest killing in Natnusa. The Kashmir University announced to postpone examinations scheduled for the day.
The Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has expressed deep anguish over the “unfortunate” death of a youth at Natnusa. “My heart goes out to the bereaved family of the boy who died in the prime of his youth,” she said in a statement. The Chief Minister appealed general public to remain vigilant and maintain calm to defeat the nefarious designs of those who want to disturb peace in the state.
The Opposition National Conference (NC) said that its leaders were barred by the authorities to visit the bereaved families of the Handwara firing victims.