Teargas shells, batons used to disperse stone-pelting mobs in Srinagar

Clashes were reported from Shopian and Pulwama district towns in south, Sopore and Baramulla towns in north and Galwanpora, Hyderpora, Sheikhpora and Humhama areas of central Kashmir's Budgam district, they said.

However, no one was injured in the clashes which erupted shortly after Friday prayers even as the hardline faction of Hurriyat Conference headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani, which is spearheading the ongoing agitation in the Valley, exempted the day from the purview of its protest calendar.

Fearing law and order problem after Friday prayers, authorities imposed curfew in the jurisdictions of six police stations in Srinagar, Baramulla district town along with Delina, Palhallan, Pattan, Kunzar and Tangmarg and Kupwara district towns as also Trehgam, Kralpora, Handwara, Chotipora and Kulangam early today.

A police spokesman said curfew remained in force without any relaxation in the areas falling under the jurisdictions of Maharaj Gunj, Safakadal, Rainawari, Nowhatta, Khanyar and Batamaloo police stations covering most of interior Srinagar.

Normal activities resumed in rest of Srinagar and other major towns as shopkeepers opened their shops and public and private vehicles were again on the roads early in the day.

However, traffic was suspended on Srinagar-Kralapora road after residents of Channapora locality of uptown Srinagar blocked it in protest against the arrest of nearly a dozen youth on the charges of stone-pelting by police over the past one week.
Police immediately swung into action and persuaded the protestors to disperse, assuring them that the arrested youth would be released after questioning, the sources said.
While the situation in Srinagar remained peaceful, protestors took to streets in Shopian and Pulwama district towns and pelted stones on the office of Deputy Commissioner and Police Station, respectively, the sources said.

They said police burst teargas shells and used batons to disperse the protestors.
Groups of youths also indulged in stone-pelting at Galwanpora, Hyderpora, Sheikhpora and Humhama in Budgam district and Sopore town of Baramulla district, they added