Curfew-defying crowds clashed with the police and the CRPF at several places across the Kashmir Valley on Tuesday. About two dozen persons including some policemen were injured in stone-pelting.
The CRPF jawans and the local policemen in full riot gear were out on the streets in Srinagar and other major towns early on Tuesday to enforce a strict curfew as tensions flared after four civilians were shot dead by the police at Palhalan, 28-km northwest of here, and neighbourhood areas on Monday.
However, at places including at Palhalan, irate crowds chanting pro-freedom slogans defied curfew and later clashed with the security personnel. Such face-offs were witnessed in few localities of Srinagar including Maisuma, Nowgam and Tengpora and in the towns of Sopore, Shopian and Baramulla. The CRPF and the police swung bamboo sticks and fired teargas canisters to break up the protests, witnesses said.
Overnight also, protests were held and clashes took place between rock-throwing youth and policemen in different parts of the restive Valley where nearly 70 people have been killed in police firing during weeks of unrest.
At Nowhatta in central Srinagar — Massarat Aalam — a close aide of separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, and who has been calling shots during the current unrest was seen among the protesters.
Reports said that after speaking at a religious congregation at a mosque in city’s Fatah Kadal area, Mr Aalam who went into hiding about two months ago and for whom the police has launched a massive manhunt walked up to Nowhatta where a protest demonstration was underway and joined it.
Meanwhile, a police handout issued here said that the situation across the Valley remained by and large peaceful barring few stray incidents of stone-pelting at Singhpora, Tappar in Baramulla, Chinkipora and Bomie in Sopore, Kangan Bazaar in Ganderbal district, near District Development Commissioner’s office in Shopian and at Nowgam and Tengpora in Srinagar. Also, a group of miscreants pelted stones at the Sopore station but were chased away by policemen after resorting to mind lathi-charge and use of tear smoke shells.
It added that overnight huge groups of miscreants pelted stones and hurled petrol bombs at the Nowhatta police station in Srinagar. “Exercising maximum restraint, the police chased them away. However, nine miscreants were arrested on spot in the incident,” it said.