8 injured in clashes, curfew in old city areas of Srinagar

Five persons were injured when security forces allegedly opened fire to disperse stone-pelting protestors at Muran Chowk in Pulwama district town, 32 kms from here, this evening, official sources said.

They said reinforcements have been rushed to the area to restore law and order. A police spokesman said security forces exercised utmost restraint although the miscreants resorted to heavy stone pelting on their vehicles going to Shopian after dispatching the body of their colleague.

One of the injured was shifted to Srinagar and his condition is said to be stable, the spokesman said. He said two policemen were also injured when protestors indulged in stone-pelting on a security deployment at Cement Bridge in Baramulla district town, 55 kms from here, this afternoon.

A woman was injured when a mob smashed windscreens of two private vehicles near Gulab Bagh in Zakura area on the outskirts of Srinagar, the spokesman said. He said miscreants also tried to disrupt peace by resorting to stone pelting on security forces at Ompora and Galwanpora-Hyderpora in Budgam district, Pandach, Soura, Tangpora,
Channapora and Kralipora in Srinagar, Bazipora-Ajas in Bandipora, Ticker and Magam in Kupwara, Palhallan and Pattan in Baramulla and Gulshanabad and General Bus Stand in Anantnag.

Police fired warning shots, burst teargas shells and used batons at several places to restore law and order, the sources said adding none was hurt in the clashes. Barring parts of Srinagar, there was no curfew in any part of the Valley, the police spokesman said.

"The areas falling under police stations of Nowhatta, Maharajgunj, Safakadal, Khanyar and Qamarwari police division have been placed under curfew," the spokesman said. The hardline faction of Hurriyat Conference had asked people to march to Eidgah graveyard in Safakadal area to press for resolution of Kashmir issue and to pay tributes to those killed in the Valley over the past 20 years.

Elsewhere in Kashmir Valley, normal life was disrupted due to a strike called by the hardline Hurriyat faction. Shops, business establishments and private offices remained closed on account of the strike. Public transport was off the roads but private vehicles plied as usual.

Kashmir Valley has been in a grip of protests, strikes and curfew since June when a 17-year-old boy was killed by a tear smoke shell allegedly fired by police at Rajouri Kadal area of the city.