A soldier died in yet another bout of firing and shelling from across the line of Control (loC) in Keran sector of North Kashmir’s Kupwara District.
Defence sources said that Pakistan resorted to unprovoked firing on Friday evening, critically injuring the soldier, who died on Saturday. They said befitting response was given to the Pakistani firing after Indian Army targeted Pakistani posts with heavy weapons. Unconfirmed reports said three more soldiers were injured in Keran sector, who were taken to hospital. Four civilian houses in residential area were reportedly damaged in the attack.
Reports said in a separate attack from Pakistan Rangers, three more soldiers were in Furqian Gali of Kupwara sector.
In a road accident, an Army man was killed and another injured in Gurez area of North Kashmir’s Bandipora District.
Meanwhile, the authorities on Saturday lifted curfew from parts of Srinagar, where the curbs were imposed to foil the separatists' plans of holding a congregation at Jamia Masjid Srinagar on Friday. Officials said there were no curbs on the movement of people anywhere in the Valley. However, the restrictions under Section 144 CrPc continued to remain in force on the assembly of people with adequate deployment of police and security personnel along roadsides to maintain law and order.
The joint separatist leadership Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik on Saturday postponed the scheduled ‘lal Chowk March’ on November 14 Monday in view of appeal from Sikh community on the occasion of religious celebration of Guru Nanak’s birthday.
Normal life remained affected in Kashmir Valley on the 127th consecutive day but the overall situation remained peaceful and under control with no major untoward incident reported from any part of the Valley.
There was increased movement of people and private vehicles during the shutdown period. There was also movement of inter district private transport on some routes from Srinagar. Apart from educational institutions most of the shops, markets, business establishments, petrol pumps remained closed. As per separatists’ protest calendar, almost all the shops, markets, business establishments, fuel stations reopened from 4 p.m. onwards in view of 15 hour relaxation in shutdown from 4 P.M. to 7 A.M. Some public transport also plied during relaxation hours.
The unrest in Kashmir has entered into 5th month and the separatist leadership has been issuing protest calendars since the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani on July 08. The separatists have extended the shutdown programme till Nov 17 against the civilian killings, injuries to thousands of people, arrest of youth and other alleged atrocities at the hands of security forces and police.
At least 94 people including two police personnel have been killed and more than 14000 civilians injured with around one thousand hit in eyes in the ongoing unrest in the Valley in last 118 days after the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani on July 08. Around 5000 security forces personnel have also been injured in the clashes. Over ten thousand were jailed with majority of them released on bail and nearly 500 persons booked under Public Safety Act (PSA).