Five wounded in police firing in Srinagar

SRINAGAR - Five people were wounded in police firing in the sensitive Maisuma locality of Srinagar even as curfew and a separatist sponsored shutdown hit normal life in the city.

Police opened fire in the uptown Maisuma area Monday afternoon, injuring five people, one of them critically. The injured were admitted to the SMHS Hospital, a police officer said.

The incident took place near the residence of pro-independence Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Yasin Malik.

Hospital sources said Yasir Hamid Sheikh, who received a bullet injury in his lower abdomen, was very critical. Yasir is the JKLF chief’s cousin.

Local residents alleged that a group of young men was playing carrom in a lane in the locality when police fired at them without any provocation.

Tension gripped Maisuma locality and its adjoining areas as angry young men took to streets chanting anti-India and pro-freedom slogans.

They pelted stones at security forces deployed in the area and in Lal Chowk the city centre. Youths also burnt tyres in Lal Chowk.

Life in Kashmir Valley continued to remain crippled in view of a shutdown called by the separatists and curfew imposed in areas falling under five police stations of the Old City here.

As many as 64 people have died in the past 80 days since the ongoing unrest in the Valley began June 11.

“Curfew is continuing in five police station areas of Srinagar city while restrictions have been imposed in Badgam and Anantnag towns,” a police officer said here.

Despite the curfew and the separatist-sponsored shutdown, violence has come down across the Kashmir Valley in the last few days, officials said.

“There has been a decrease in the level of violence in the valley during the last few days. The intensity and frequency of protests has definitely come down,” said an intelligence officer here.

Hardline separatist group headed by Syed Ali Geelani called for yet another protest shutdown Monday as part of the group’s ‘Quit Kashmir’ movement.

Shops, educational institutions, banks, post offices and other businesses remained closed. While public transport went off roads, private vehicles plied on the uptown city roads here.

Reports from other district headquarters of the valley said that the separatist called shutdown had adversely affected life there as well.