Srinagar: Three persons were killed and 30 others injured in fresh violence in Kashmir on Saturday even as curfew was relaxed in parts of Srinagar, the hub of ongoing protests in the Valley which entered 100th day.
Two persons were killed and three others sustained injuries as security forces allegedly opened fire on a group of persons coming out of a mosque at Palhalan in Pattan area, 32 kms from here, in Baramulla district.
The deceased were identified as Ansarullah Tantray and Ali Mohammad Waza. Although local residents alleged that the firing by security forces was unprovoked, a police spokesman said a mob tried to block the Srinagar-Baramulla National Highway and started heavy stone pelting on security forces.
"As security forces tried to control the situation, three persons were injured," he said. Clashes erupted in Anantnag town, 52 km from here in south Kashmir, after the body of a 10-year-old boy, missing since Monday, was fished out from river Jhelum, official sources said.
Thousands of residents of Nathpora in Khanabal and adjoining areas in Anantnag defied curfew and took out a procession with the body of the boy, Maroof Ahmad Nath.
Maroof had jumped into the river when protestors were allegedly being chased by securitymen during a clash. The protestors raised slogans while a section of the crowd
started throwing stones targ eting the security forces, the sources said. The security personnel first lobbed tear smoke shells and then allegedly opened fire, resulting in injuries to 15 people.
One of the injured persons, identified as Nooruddin Dagga, succumbed at a hospital.
Officials said the protestors threw stones at the house of a Samajwadi Party leader, Fayaz Ahmad Bhat, and tried to torch it when the security forces opened fire.
Another youth, Fayaz Ahmad Naiko, who was injured in stone pelting on Tuesday in Bemina area of the city, succumbed to his injuries at SKIMS Hospital at Soura. A youth was injured in police action against a stone pelting mob at Harin in Kupwara district, 100 kms from here, in north Kashmir.
The toll in the ongoing unrest in Kashmir, which entered its 100th day on Saturday, climbed to 99 even as curfew continued in most parts of Valley for the sixth consecutive day.
Curfew was, however, relaxed for varying periods across the Srinagar city and Kakapora town in south Kashmir Pulwama district, providing much-needed relief to the people in these areas after six days, a police spokesman said. Curfew was initially relaxed in South and East Zones of the city and Kakapora town for four hours. However, the relaxation was later extended for three more hours as no untoward incident was reported.
While curfew had to be reimposed in Batamaloo area of the city due to stone pelting incidents, there was no relaxation in Maisuma and Kralkhud police station areas.
Curfew was relaxed in the rest of the city at 3 PM and the relaxation period passed off peacefully, barring some incidents of stone pelting in old city areas in which 12 policemen were injured.
The prohibitory order was imposed in Srinagar on Sunday following violent protests and incidents of arson on the day of Eid-ul-Fitr. It was extended to the entire Valley the next
day as protests and violence spread to other parts of Kashmir.
Meanwhile, a house of a policeman was set on fire by a mob late last night in Pinjoora village in Shopian district in south Kashmir, police said.
PTI
