15 injured as clashes erupt in Kashmir
By IANSWednesday, October 27, 2010
SRINAGAR - At least three policemen and a dozen protesters were injured as clashes erupted again in Srinagar and other towns in the Kashmir Valley while authorities imposed curfew to thwart a separatist march Wednesday.
A police spokesman said security forces opened fire to quell stone-pelting protesters in north Kashmir Bandipore town, injuring four people. One was seriously wounded and shifted to a hospital in capital Srinagar for treatment.
The trouble in Bandipore erupted in the morning as stone-pelting mobs clashed with security forces.
Clashes also broke out in Srinagar in the evening. Mobs pelted stones at vehicles in the Old City areas of Nowhatta, Gojiwara and Rajouri Kadal and uptown Batmaloo locality.
Clashes were also reported from south Kashmir Anantnag and Bijbehara towns where eight people were wounded.
Curfew was imposed in the capital city and other towns in the morning as authorities disallowed a separatist march to the United Nations Military Observers Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) headquarters here Wednesday.
Thousands of police and paramilitary troops were deployed to enforce the curfew.
Wednesdays march was called by moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and supported by hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani to protest the landing of the first batch of Indian troops this day in 1947 to beat back Pakistani Army and tribal raiders. Then Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh signed the instrument of accession of his princely state with India and called for military help to fight the invasion.
