Two youth injured in Srinagar, separatist march foiled

SRINAGAR - Two youth were injured Monday evening after being hit by rubber bullets in Srinagar while the authorities foiled a separatist march to Anantnag town in south Kashmir, where three teenagers had died in police firing during last week’s protests.

A senior police officer said Amir Khan, 20, and Imran Khan were injured when Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers fired rubber bullets at a stone pelting mob in the old city area of Safakadal.

The injured were shifted to Bone and Joint hospital here immediately for treatment.

State authorities foiled a separatist hard-line Hurriyat Conference called march as it imposed curfew in Srinagar and three key towns of Anantnag, Pulwama and Kakpora and curfew-like-restrictions in other valley parts early Monday.

Police and paramilitary troops were deployed in strength to enforce the restrictions. Barricades were erected and coils of razor fitted wire used to curb pedestrian and vehicular movement in the summer capital and on the national highway from here to Anantnag town.

However, vehicles carrying pilgrims to and those from the Amarnath cave shrine plied on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway throughout the day.

Despite curfew restrictions, mobs indulged in stone pelting in Baramulla, Pattan and in Anantnag town.

At Pattan, police fired teargas and used baton charges to disperse angry protestors who hurled stones at the local police station.

In Baramulla town, police used baton charges to disperse stone pelting youth this afternoon.

Mobs also indulged in stone pelting on police and CRPF in Anantnag town this evening. A procession was also taken out in the town led by the hard-line Hurriyat Conference leaders.

The authorities have ordered the closure of all the educational institutions in Kashmir Tuesday.