Teenager killed in fresh violence

 A teenage boy was killed in police firing while dozens more, including three officers, were injured on Wednesday in fresh clashes in Pulwama district here.

This comes even as Home Minister Rajnath Singh arrived in Srinagar to review the security situation in the state.

According to reports, militants attacked a joint party of the J&K Police and CRPF in southern Pulwama town.

Superintendent of Police Pulwama Rayees Bhat said militants hurled a grenade and fired at the security personnel near the Government Degree College Pulwama, injuring Additional Superintendent Police Azhar Baba, Deputy Superintendent of Police Shafiq Ahmad and Station House Officer (SHO) Adil Ahmad.

“SHO Adil is in a critical condition, while DSP Shafiq received a bullet injury. As man as 15 police and CRPF personnel were also injured in the incident,” he told DH.

Earlier in the day, witnesses said clashes erupted in Pulwama after security forces fired pellets and burst teargas shells to foil a protest rally. They said at least 40 were injured, three of them seriously. The victims were shifted to Srinagar for further treatment.

One of the injured, 18-year-old Amir Mir, died minutes after being admitted to Srinagar’s SMHS Hospital, doctors said. In Srinagar, where curfew was relaxed for the first time in 46 days on Tuesday and considerable movement of vehicles and pedestrians was seen in civil lines areas, an uneasy calm prevailed on Wednesday.

Paramilitary troopers beat up three motorcycle-borne youths in the old city of Srinagar, with one of them receiving serious head injuries.

The residents of the congested Batamaloo area claimed that forces resorted to aerial firing and thrashed people without any provocation.

Reports of security forces breaking windowpanes, doors and damaging household items, apart from beating up people, were received from several areas of north and south Kashmir.
Strike call till Sept 1

Meanwhile, separatist leaders, who are spearheading the ongoing agitation, in their weekly protest calendar extended the strike call till September 1. They asked people to protest on all days, block roads and play Islamic and freedom songs in masjids from Magrib (evening) to Isha (night) prayers.

They have also warned the divisional commissioner, deputy commissioners and heads of government departments about asking employees to rejoin work.

 “A list of all such officers, who ask employees to join duties, will be made public for comprehensive social boycott,” a separatist warned.