Two killed in Kashmir firing, toll rises to 57

SRINAGAR - Two people were killed Saturday as security forces opened fire on stone-pelting mobs in Jammu and Kashmir taking the toll of civilians killed in the unrest since June 11 to 57.

A senior police officer said a paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) team was attacked with stones and bricks by a violent mob in Lazibal village of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district in the afternoon.

“The CRPF party was attacked by an unruly mob at Lazibal on the K.P. Road outside Anantnag town. When other means to control the riotous protesters failed, the CRPF troopers used firearms which resulted in the death of a 30-year old person identified as Ishrat Ahmad Latto,” the officer said.

“Three other protesters injured in the incident have been shifted to the hospital in Srinagar city,” he added.

A doctor in Anantnag hospital where the injured persons were initially taken said one of them had suffered a critical bullet injury.

A youth identified as Umar Dar was shot dead in Narbal town of Baramullah district when an unruly mob attacked vehicles of the security forces, police said.

Authorities had imposed a Valley wide curfew Saturday to prevent violence by protesting mobs.

“Except for Ganderbal, Bandipora and Awantipora districts, curfew has been imposed in the entire valley today (Saturday) to prevent violence. The situation is being closely monitored,” a senior police officer said.

Police personnel and CRPF contingents were deployed in summer capital Srinagar and all other major towns in north and south Kashmir areas.

Residents in Ganderbal, Awantipora and Bandipora said authorities placed restrictions to prevent any pedestrian or vehicular movement there.

Roads in Srinagar are completely deserted as an eerie silence prevails in the city. This is occasionally broken when security forces vehicles pass along the city roads.

A mob of angry protesters pelted stones at passing police and CRPF vehicles in Singhpora village, about 20 km from here, in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Srinagar-Muzaffarabad highway.

Two people were injured in retaliatory action by the security forces.

One of the injured reportedly suffered a bullet injury and has been admitted to the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences Soura (SKIMS) in Srinagar. A doctor at the hospital said the injured person was stable.

Another mob smashed a vehicle of the Border Roads Organisation in Wanabal area on the outskirts of Srinagar city.

Restrictions were defied by irate mobs in uptown Hyderpora area of Srinagar, in south Kashmir’s Damhal Hanjipora village and some other places.

“Around a dozen people were injured in clashes between the curfew defying mobs and the security forces at a few places in the valley today,” a police officer said.

“None of the persons suffered any serious injury,” the officer said in Srinagar.

Separatist Hurriyat group headed by Syed Ali Geelani had called a complete valley wide shutdown against the killings of four civilians who died in security forces firing in north Kashmir areas Friday.