Another youth killed in Kashmir, toll now 71

SRINAGAR - A young man was killed and another critically injured when security forces opened fire on a mob of protesters in north Kashmir Bandipora district Monday, taking to 71 the toll in the current phase of unrest in the Kashmir Valley.

“Nisar Ahmed Bhat, a protesting youth, was killed and another was injured when security forces fired at an unruly mob in Ajas village of Bandipora district today (Monday),” a police officer told IANS here.

“The situation is still tense in the area and the security forces are trying to bring it under control,” he said.

Reports said that Bhat and Riyaz Ahmad, the other protester, sustained bullet injuries and Bhat died while being shifted for specialized treatment to a hospital in Srinagar.

With Bhat’s death, the number of people killed in the unrest in the Kashmir Valley since June 11 has risen to 71.

Pro-Islam and anti-US protests were, meanwhile, held at Humhama, Ompora, Shalteng, Shalimar, Newthead and other places in Srinagar and also in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.

Protesters marched in a huge procession towards Srinagar city from central Badgam district.

The protests were triggered after an Iranian news channel reported the alleged desecration of the Quran by some people in the US.