Another injured civilian dies in Valley

Normal life remained crippled in the Kashmir valley for the second consecutive day as a 22-year-old youth, who was injured on Monday, succumbed on Tuesday while over a dozen protesters were hurt in fresh clashes.

Medical superintendent, SKIMS hospital in Srinagar, Dr Farooq Jan said Gowhar Rather, who was admitted in a critical condition on Monday evening, succumbed on Tuesday.

Reports said that as soon the news of the death of Rather spread in his native Kangan town in central Kashmir's Ganderbal district, fresh clashes erupted in the area.

Ten policemen and two protesters were injured in the clashes, which were going on till late in the evening.

The Valley is on the boil after 13 militants, four civilians and three armymen were killed in three separate encounters and subsequent clashes on Sunday in south Kashmir's Shopian and Anantnag districts.

Over 200 protesters have been injured in security forces' action since then.

While separatists had called for a strike on Monday and Tuesday against the killings, authorities imposed curfew-like restrictions in sensitive areas of the Valley to thwart any protest marches.

However, despite restrictions, reports of clashes between stone-pelting youth and security forces poured in from different areas of Kashmir.

With separatists calling for a 'Shopian chalo' march on Wednesday, the authorities have decided to continue with the restrictions in sensitive areas of the state.

With Kashmir on edge, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti reviewed the overall situation in a high-level meeting of officers here on Tuesday.

Mehbooba, who reached here on Monday evening from New Delhi, impressed upon the officers dealing the situation to ensure that collateral damage is avoided and all the standard operating procedures (SoPs) in this regard are strictly adhered to, sources said.

"Senior civil and police officers briefed the chief minister about the overall situation in the Kashmir Valley, particularly after the incidents of violence in Shopian district two days ago," they said.

Meanwhile, the police refuted a newspaper report that buses carrying tourists were attacked in Dalgate area of Srinagar city and in Awantipora area of south Kashmir.

A police spokesman while refuting that any tourist was injured, as reported by the newspaper, said, "Investigation has also shown that no injuries to anybody were reported from area".