Two critically injured in continuing Kashmir violence (Third Lead)

SRINAGAR - A youth was critically wounded Sunday as security forces fired at protesters who attacked the house of a minister in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, defying the curfew imposed after Saturday’s widespread violence.

Clashes between curfew-defying mobs and security forces also occurred in various areas of Srinagar as well as Baramulla and Sopore towns. Two people were injured critically while 12 others, including eight security men and four protesters, sustained minor injuries in the violence.

Meanwhile, a man injured in clashes in Baramulla last week died in hospital, taking to 70 the toll in the violence since June 11.

A youth, identified as Sameer Ahmad Malik, sustained an abdominal injury when security forces fired at a violent mob that attacked the house of Education Minister Peerzada Muhammad Sayeed in Anantnag district Sunday afternoon, police said.

Four others sustained minor injuries in the firing. The minister was inside at the time of the attack.

“A mob of around 300 attacked Sayeed’s house in Damhal Khushipora village of Anantnag district today (Sunday) afternoon. The security forces initially used batons and tear smoke shells to disperse the violent mob, but after the stone pelters resorted to sustained violence, security forces had to open fire,” said Deputy Inspector General of Police (South Kashmir) Shafqat Ahmad.

Malik has been brought to Srinagar for treatment.

In Srinagar, a youth was hit by a tear smoke shell in clashes between security forces and the stone-pelters in Maisuma area. Security forces also resorted to aerial firing as the protesters defied curfew - imposed after Saturday’s widespread violence.

“The youth has been admitted in the hospital and doctors there said his condition is stable,” police here said.

Clashes also occurred in Bemina area.

Earlier, a mob resorted to heavy stone pelting on the police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel in Soura area of the city, injuring a police official.

“A deputy superintendent of police was injured in the stone pelting in Soura. Security forces used batons and tear smoke canisters to enforce curfew there,” a police official said.

In Lethpora village near Srinagar, protesters blocked the strategic Jammu-Srinagar national highway - the only link between the Kashmir Valley and the rest of the country - pelting stones at the passing vehicles. The protesters were later chased away from Lethpora, Ahmad said.

Reports of clashes between curfew-defying mobs and security forces have also come in from north Kashmir’s Baramulla and Sopore towns.

Authorities had imposed an indefinite curfew in Srinagar and north Kashmir’s Baramulla and Sopore and south Kashmir’s Anantnag, Pulwama, Bijbehara and some other places in the Valley Sunday.

“The imposition of curfew had become unavoidable in the wake of the large scale violence and arson by mobs which had formed part of the protest march led by Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik here yesterday (Saturday),” a senior police officer said here.

Meanwhile, 34-year old Mir Ashraf, who was hit in the neck by a bullet, during clashes in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district Monday succumbed in the hospital Sunday.

Four other protesters had been killed and 15 had sustained injuries when security forces intervened to clear the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad highway which had been blocked by protesters at Palhalan village, 35 km from Srinagar, Sep 6.

“Ashraf had sustained a critical bullet injury in the neck and we had put him on life support system immediately after he was brought to hospital Monday. Despite our best efforts, we could not revive the patient,” an attending doctor at the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences Soura (SKIMS) said.

Meanwhile, police have lodged an FIR against the Mirwaiz in a local police station here. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the Mirwaiz had betrayed assurances of a peaceful protest because of which the authorities had allowed his Lal Chowk march Saturday.

“The FIR has been lodged against Mirwaiz Umer Farooq for instigating people to violence and arson through his inflammatory speeches,” police said.