Teenaged girl, two others killed in police firing in Kashmir (Second Lead)

SRINAGAR - Two 17-year-olds, including a girl, and another young man were killed Sunday when security personnel fired on mobs attacking police stations in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district as escalating violence engulfed Kashmir Valley.

With the three deaths, the toll of protesters killed in police firing across the Valley since Friday has risen to nine.

The law and order situation has deteriorated with violent protests rocking most cities and towns and mobs attacking police stations, police camps, vehicles on the highways and also beating up trapped security men.

“A violent mob attacked the Khrew police post in Pulwama district today (Sunday) afternoon forcing the policemen inside to fire in self-defence. A girl identified as Afroza Bano, 17, was among the three people critically wounded in this firing incident,” a senior police officer told IANS here.

“The three injured were shifted to Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences Soura (SKIMS) where doctors said the injured girl had succumbed to her injuries,” the official added.

Army personnel from a nearby camp rushed to Khrew police post to rescue the trapped policemen there, reports here said.

Earlier, two young people indentified as Nayeem Ahmad Shah, 26, and Rayees Ahmad Wani, 17, were killed and five others critically wounded when a huge mob attacked the Pampore police station in the same district.

As news of the deaths spread, protesters attacked and burnt the office-cum-residence of a revenue official in the town, looted arms from the guardroom of a local court, assaulted a police official and burnt a police vehicle, a senior police official said here.

The officer said hundreds of violent protesters attacked the Pampore police station, 14 km from here, in Pulwama district, with rocks and stones.

“After tear smoke shells and baton charges failed to bring the situation under control, security forces opened fire in which seven people were injured,” the officer said. They were taken to Srinagar for treatment where Shah and Wani succumbed to their injuries.

“The situation is extremely tense in Pampore town,” said a police officer.

Additional security forces have been rushed to the spot, where thousands gathered to offer funeral prayers for the victims.

Reports of widespread violence and clashes between unruly mobs and the security forces have also come in from Zeewan, Nishat, Shah Mohalla Parimpora, Nowhatta, Rainawari and Khanyar in Srinagar city where mobs defied curfew and attacked security forces.

Violence has also been reported from Baramulla, Sopore, Naidkhai and Ganderbal towns in the north and Galandar, Fraistabal, Barsoo, Kadlabal, Khannabal, Pinglana, Sirigufwara and Anantnag town in the south Kashmir area.

A senior police officer said unruly mobs have blocked the Jammu-Srinagar national highway at Galandar, Frastabal, Barsoo, Kadlabal and Pampore by felling trees and erecting obstructions,

On Friday, two people each were killed in north Kashmir’s Sopore and Pattan towns when security forces opened fire on violent protesters. Two more protesters were shot dead Saturday in north Kashmir’s Baramulla and Bandipora districts.