Three die in Kashmir violence, toll now 73 (Second Lead)

SRINAGAR - Protests and violence continued in the Kashmir Valley Monday as a protester and a policeman were killed in central Badgam district while a youth died in firing by security forces in Bandipora district, taking to 73 the toll in ongoing unrest in the state.

“A mob attacked a post of the local armed police at Humhama in Badgam district. So, guards opened fire in which one person identified as Gulam Rasool Tantray was critically injured,” a police officer said here.

“Tantray, 50, succumbed to his injuries in the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences Soura (SKIMS),” he added.

In north Kashmir Bandipora, a young man was killed as security forces fired at a mob of protesters.

“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.

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

In a separate incident in Badgam town, Devinder Singh, a policeman, was overrun by a truck carrying a slogan-shouting mob.

“The injured constable was shifted to Badgam hospital where he succumbed to injuries,” a police official said.

“The vehicle that carried the constable to hospital was later overturned by another violent mob outside the hospital and set ablaze,” he added.

Mobs in north Kashmir Tangmarg town, meanwhile, torched a Christian missionary school, the office of the social welfare department and a police vehicle.

Large crowds also gathered in Shalteng, Ompora, Bemina and other places of Srinagar city, defying round-the-clock curfew imposed here in the wake of widespread violence that followed the separatist march to city centre Lal Chowk, led by moderate Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umer Farooq on Eid Saturday.

But as 24X7 curfew continued in major towns of the valley, hundreds of villagers from south Kashmir’s Pulwama district took out processions, shouting pro-Quran and anti-America slogans. Such protests also erupted in Shalimar area of Srinagar city.

Locals here said an Iranian television news channel announced late Sunday that a copy of the Quran had been burnt in the US. A pastor in Florida, US, had threatened to burn copies of the Quran on the anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks but later called off the plan.

Pro-Islam and anti-US protests were also held at Humhama, Ompora, Shalteng, Shalimar, Newthead and other places in Srinagar.

An indefinite curfew continued in Srinagar and other major towns of the valley for the second day Monday.

“Curfew continues to be in force in the entire Srinagar city, south Kashmir’s Anantnag, Pulwama, Bijbehera and north Kashmir’s Baramulla and Sopore towns. The situation is under control throughout the valley,” a senior police officer said here.

Round-the-clock curfew has been imposed for the first time here since the present unrest started June 11.

During the last three months, the authorities would announce curfew or restrictions in vulnerable areas during the day and deployment of police and CRPF were withdrawn with dusk.

“That practice allowed us to buy at least some essentials of life from small shops in the area which would open up for a few hours in the evening. But as the authorities decided to continue with round-the-clock curfew here, nobody has ventured out in our locality,” said Abdul Majid, 39, a resident of Bohri Kadal area in Srinagar.