Curfew-bound Kashmir towns ‘peaceful but tense’ (Roundup)

SRINAGAR - Several towns in Jammu and Kashmir remained curfew-bound Wednesday to curb widespread violence witnessed in the past few days. The authorities said the law order situation was “peaceful but tense”, though mobs did pelt stones at security forces at several places in north Kashmir.

An indefinite curfew remained in force in seven areas of summer capital Srinagar, in north Kashmir’s Sopore and Baramulla towns and in Anantnag, Pulwama and Kulgam towns of south Kashmir. Eight youth have been killed in firing by the security forces in the last four days.

“The overall law and order situation remained under control throughout the Valley today. No major untoward incident occurred anywhere,” a police officer said here.

Sporadic incidents of stone pelting, however, occurred at Nowgam, Kralpora and Zainakote areas in Srinagar, Malikangan and Anchidora areas of Anantnag district and at Sopore, Baramulla and Handwara towns in north Kashmir.

Police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel used batons and tear gas to disperse unruly mobs at these places.

An angry mob pelted stones at the north Kashmir Handwara house of a senior National Conference leader and police intervened to bring the situation under control.

Curfew continued in Rainawari, Khanyar, Nowhatta, Safa Kadal, Soura, Parimpora and Nowgam police station areas in the city. Authorities, however, said these were preventive restrictions.

Curfew continued for the sixth day in Sopore town. However, reports reaching here said mobs defied curfew in some places and threw stones security forces.

In Anantnag town, an indefinite curfew was imposed Tuesday after widespread violence followed the killing of three teenagers in firing by security forces.

Agitated mobs had Tuesday torched the state road transport corporation yard in Anantnag, a petrol pump, a police picket, 16 trucks, three buses and some shops besides damaging four trucks and eight buses.

SMS services remained suspended across the state for the third day Wednesday to prevent “anti-national” people from spreading rumours and causing trouble in the state, an official said.

Meanwhile, the annual pilgrimage to the Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir began early Wednesday with the first batch of 1,300 devotees leaving from the winter capital Jammu.

Over 1,000 pilgrims have already reached the Manigam transit camp in north Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, but authorities did not permit them to move to the Baltal base camp due to bad weather.