Army stages flag march in Kashmir town

SRINAGAR - The army staged a flag march in north Kashmir’s Baramulla town Wednesday to defuse tensions that had arisen after violence leading to the deaths of several youths in clashes with security personnel in the valley over the past week.

A senior police officer said a contingent of the army led by a brigadier staged a flag march in old Baramulla town to instil confidence in the people and defuse tensions there.

“The flag march was carried out after the district magistrate made a formal request to the army,” sources here told IANS.

Tensions had heightened in Baramulla and Sopore towns after the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) shot dead two youths when their vehicle was attacked and torched by an angry mob in Sopore town last Friday.

Another youth was killed in Sopore Sunday when a mob defied curfew restrictions there.

On Monday, mobs attacked a CRPF picket in Sopore. This prompted the guard there to fire at them, resulting in the death of another youth.

A boy was killed in Delina village, 14 km from Sopore town, on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road the same day when mobs marching to Sopore from Baramulla attacked the security men.

Tensions spread to the south Kashmir Anantnag town when security forces fired at an unruly mob, killing three teenagers Tuesday.

After widespread violence, authorities clamped indefinite curfew in Anantnag, Kulgam, and Pulwama towns of south Kashmir. Curfew has also now been clamped in Pahalgam and Bijbehara towns of Anantnag district.

Curfew restrictions also continued without any relaxation in seven police station areas in summer capital Srinagar.

Police described the overall law and order situation as tense but under control across the Valley Wednesday.