Two injured in Sopore clashes

SRINAGAR - Two people were injured in clashes between stone-pelting protesters and security forces in Kashmir’s Sopore town Friday after the visit of hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani.

Geelani visited the town, 54 km from Srinagar, to meet the families whose homes were either completely destroyed or damaged in the four-day long gunfight last month. He handed over relief of Rs.5 lakh in cash and rations to be distributed among the families in the Chinkipora area.

Geelani later led a procession through the town and addressed a rally held on the main thoroughfare of the town where he asked the youth to desist from pelting stones.

Shouting pro-freedom and anti-India slogans, the rally dispersed peacefully.

However, immediately after Geelani’s departure, groups of youth shouting slogans took to the streets and threw stones on police and paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel.

Security forces initially baton charged the mob to disperse it. However, as the stone pelting intensified, rubber bullets and tear gas was used, resulting two people getting injured.

According to police sources, one person received bullet injury in his right leg while the other was hit by a tear gas shell. They were taken to hospital for treatment and their condition is stated to be out of danger.

Tension still prevailed in the town.