Another teenager dies in Srinagar, toll 45

SRINAGAR - The violence in the Kashmir Valley Wednesday claimed its 45th victim since June 11 with a teenager succumbing to bullet injuries here following a clash with security forces.

Iqbal Ahmad Khan, 17, was injured Friday in clashes between an unruly mob and paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers in Srinagar’s Chanapora locality.

He was admitted to the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences Soura (SKIMS) where he was put on life support system after being operated on.

“Despite our best efforts, he succumbed to injuries this (Wednesday) evening,” a doctor at SKIMS told IANS.

Iqbal’s bullet injury had sparked off massive violence across the Kashmir Valley with protesters burning police stations, police camps, government property and vehicles belonging to the Indian Air Force, paramilitary, police and the state government.

With Iqbal’s death, the number of protesters killed in firing by security forces since Friday (July 30) rose to 28. Earlier, 17 civilians were killed in violence across the Valley between June 11 and July 29.

The Kashmir Valley has been on the boil for 54 days due to violent protests against civilians being killed in firing by security forces.

Thousands of people took out a huge procession in south Kashmir Khrew village and held a peaceful rally there. To avoid confrontation between people and the police, authorities had handed over security at Khrew to the Rashtriya Rifles posted there.

Seven people, including a 17-year old girl, were killed in Khrew Sunday when protesters attacked and torched a police post there. While the girl was killed in police firing, six protesters died because of the powerful explosion that occurred inside the Khrew police post due to stored explosive material inside.

Indefinite curfew has been imposed across the Valley, though mobs defied restrictions in Safapora, Badgam, Sopore, Khudwani towns and some parts of Srinagar city. Government vehicles were torched in Barthana area of Srinagar where a youth was killed in security force firing Tuesday.

In Shermaal village of south Kashmir Shopian district, an irate mob torched buildings housing the sheep husbandry department and guards of the local forest protection force.

Angry crowds also attacked the house of a deputy superintendent of police and tried to torch it in south Kashmir Kulgam district, but security forces thwarted their attempt.

A police vehicle was damaged by protesters in south Kashmir Pampore town, where two protesters were killed in police firing in Pampore town Sunday.

The security of the Jammu-Srinagar national highway was handed over to the army from the south Kashmir Qazigund town to north Kashmir Sonamarg and Baramulla towns.

After remaining blockaded by protesters for three days, the highway was opened to two-way traffic late Tuesday.

The central government has sent 20 additional companies of CRPF to augment the strength of the forces there on the request of the state government.