Kashmir curfew lifted, stir continues

After 51 days, curfew was on Monday lifted from Kashmir, but life continued to be hit by the strike called by separatists.

As authorities lifted the curfew, youths emerged on the streets of Srinagar and started pelting stones on vehicles, leading to clashes at multiple places.

In Batamaloo area of Srinagar, five people were injured during clashes between protesters and security personnel. Witnesses said that protesters tried to march towards the Batamaloo bus stand, but officers intercepted them and resorted to aerial firing, besides firing teargas shells to disperse them. About a dozen protesters were injured in the volatile Khanyar and Nowhatta areas of old city Srinagar.

Reports said 15 people were injured in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
Some of them sustained pellet injuries.

Several people were wounded during clashes in the Hangigund area of Chadoora in central Kashmir’s Budgam district, while a few others received injuries in Kremshora village of the same district.

Sources said the decision to lift the curfew was taken at a high-level security meeting to make the situation conducive for the scheduled visit of an all-party delegation in the first week of September.