Two more dead, Kashmir Valley under curfew

SRINAGAR - Two more people were killed in police clashes in the Kashmir Valley, taking the toll since June 11 to 88, police said Tuesday as curfew was imposed in all major towns across the tense region and flights cancelled for three days.

Two protesters died late Monday — one was killed in south Kashmir’s Anantnag town and the other in north Kashmir’s Sopore town — when frenzied mobs attacked security forces who intervened to prevent them from indulging in arson and violence, police said.

With these, 18 people were killed on Monday, when the valley witnessed its worst violence since the ongoing unrest started June 11. The protests that were triggered initially by a report that the Quran had been desecrated in the US soon snowballed into widespread unrest across the volatile valley.

An indefinite curfew continued Tuesday in the entire Srinagar city and has now been imposed in all other major towns of the valley now.

“All flights to the valley shall remain suspended for three days with effect from today,” a senior police officer said here.

Although he did not give any reasons, it is believed this was done for the safety of passengers who have to travel 25 km from Srinagar city to the air base in south Kashmir’s Pulwama town because the Srinagar international airport is these days closed for runway repairs ahead of winter.

“Mobs are targeting civilian passengers on way to the Awantipora Air Base and also those coming to the city after landing at the air base,” an airport official said here.

Reports also came in of crowds defying the curfew and pelting security personnel with stones.

In Khanpora locality of Baramulla town Tuesday morning, a mob defied curfew and targeted security personnel with stones.

“Police used teargas shells to disperse the mob. One miscreant has got injured. Heavy pelting is going in Baramulla town this time,” police said.

Curfew has been imposed in all the major towns of Kashmir Valley, an official added. These include Srinagar, Badgam, Ganderbal, Anantnag, Bijbhera, Shopian, Sopore, Kupwara and Tangmarg, where a Christian missionary school and government buildings were targeted.

“Last evening, an unruly mob set ablaze the building of a private school at Pulwama. The house, a cowshed and a firewood shed belonging to a police constable was also set on fire at Thandan, Kreeri in Baramulla district.”

“Last evening, a mob took out the belongings and bedding of the police personnel guarding a religious place at K.P. Road in Anantnag town and set them on fire,” a police bulletin added, giving some details of the violence.