Two die in Kashmir clashes, toll rises to 53

SRINAGAR - Two people, including an elderly man, died in Jammu and Kashmir Friday as security forces fired at curfew-defying mobs indulging in stone-pelting. With this, the toll in the present unrest that started June 11 rose to 53.

“Ali Muhammad Khandey, 60, was killed when police opened fire to disperse an unruly mob defying curfew restrictions in Pattan town in Baramulla district (about 30 km from here). One protester sustained injury in the incident,” a senior police officer said.

A doctor at the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences Soura (SKIMS) here said Khandey was brought to the hospital in a critical condition and, despite best efforts, he could not be revived.

“He had a fatal head injury which could have been caused either by a direct tear smoke shell hit or a bullet,” said the doctor attending on him.

The police officer said security forces used batons, tear smoke canisters and aerial firing to quell the unruly mob in Pattan town.

In Baramulla town, two stone-pelting youths jumped into the Jhelum river — and swam to safety — after they were chased by security forces at the Cement Bridge.

Earlier in the day, a 21-year-old man, identified as Mudasir Ahmad Zargar, was killed when security forces fired at another curfew-defying mob in north Kashmir’s Trehgam village, about 120 km from here.

Two women protesters were also injured in the Trehgam violence and were being treated in a hospital here, police said.

Reports of protests also came from south Kashmir Anantnag town, Bemina on the outskirts of Srinagar city and north Kashmir Palhalan town where stone-pelting mobs clashed with security forces.

Authorities did not impose any curfew restrictions in summer capital Srinagar Friday where the separatist Hurriyat group headed by Mirwaiz Umer Farooq asked people to march to the Jamia Mosque in the Old City and hardline Hurriyat group leader Syed Ali Geelani appealed to them to march to Pather Masjid, also in the Old City.

Hundreds of people, including Farooq, reached the Jamia Mosque to offer Friday prayers while Geelani was admitted to SKIMS after he complained of chest pain.

A large mob of protesters also marched towards Jahangir Chowk in Srinagar from the uptown Batmaloo locality.