28-year-old protester killed in Kashmir, toll rises to 62
By IANSFriday, August 20, 2010
SRINAGAR - A 28-year-old man was killed in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district Friday when security forces opened fire at a mob attacking a local police station. With this, the toll of civilians in the ongoing unrest since June 11 rose to 62.
“A violent mob first attacked shopkeepers who opened for the day’s business in Bijbehara town forcing closure of the markets there. Then they attacked Bijbehara police station and indulged in stone pelting, forcing security forces to use rubber bullets to quell the protesters,” a senior police officer told IANS.
“Nazir Ahmad was critically injured suffering a rubber bullet injury. He was taken to the sub-district hospital Bijbehara where doctors tried to revive him, but he succumbed,” said the police officer.
The mob also torched the local court complex in the town.
Following the death of the 28-year-old protester, curfew was imposed in Anantnag town.
On Thursday evening, 18-year-old Mudasir Nazir was killed when Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers opened fire at a mob in north Kashmir Sopore town, about 50 km from here. The firing incident took place after the CRPF picket was attacked by the mob.
Despite curfew in Sopore Friday, thousands of people took to the streets shouting anti-India and pro-freedom slogans. The security forces did not intervene to avoid a direct confrontation with the slogan-shouting locals.
Meanwhile, authorities lifted curfew from the Kashmir Valley, including Srinagar, except Sopore, Baramulla, Handwara and Kupwara towns where curfew and restrictions continue to be imposed.
Shops, other businesses, banks, post offices and educational institutions opened normally in Srinagar following the lifting of curfew restrictions and the hardline separatist Hurriyat group’s call to resume normal activities of life for one day.
Hardline separatist Hurriyat group headed by Syed Ali Geelani has been issuing a weekly resistance calendar since last two months detailing protests, shutdowns, sit-ins and marches as part of the group’s Quit Kashmir movement.
