Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, July 27: Over 30 people were injured in clashes that broke out in Bandipora in North Kashmir for third consecutive day today against the killing of a man in Army firing on Tuesday.
The normal life remained disrupted in Bandipora town and its adjoining areas in protest against the killing of Hilal Ahmad Dar by Army. Shops, business establishments were closed and traffic was off the roads since morning.
The area is tense since the killing of Dar on Tuesday and was peaceful since morning but in the afternoon soon after the Friday prayers clashes broke out at several places between protesters and police.
Hundreds of people gathered at Aloosa, the native village of Dar. They took to streets and carried out a protest march towards Bandipora town to protest against the killing.
At Putshahi in the outskirts of Bandipora town, the protesters were intercepted by police resulting in clashes between police and protesters. Police charged batons, fired tear shells and resorted to aerial firing to disperse the protesters who were bent upon heading towards the town. Around 15 protesters and 8 police men were injured in the clashes. However, police managed to chase away the protesters.
In Bandipora town, clashes also broke out between protesters and police at several places after the Friday prayers. Around 7 people were injured in clashes in the town that were going on till evening.
Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik along with his 15 activists were detained as they tried to take out a march to United Nations Military Observers Group Office here to protest the killing of a youth by Army in Bandipora district of north Kashmir on Tuesday.
The JKLF activists led by its chairman Yasin Malik took out a protest rally soon after Friday prayers this afternoon from Maisuma locality. As soon as they reached Budshah Chowk, police deployed in strength intercepted them and detained Malik, Shoukat Ahmad Bakshi, Noor Mohammad Kalwal and Bashir Ahmad Bhat and 11 other JKLF activists to foil their march.
Police charged batons on the JKLF activists to chase them away leading to brief clashes. However, none was hurt in these clashes.
JKLF had given a call for a march from its Maisuma headquarters to the UN Military Observers Group office at Sonawar to submit a memorandum against the killing of Hilal Ahmad Dar, who was killed in Army firing in Bandipora.
Malik and other prominent separatist leaders including chairmen of both factions of Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, were placed under house arrest. But the supporters of JKLF broke the police cordon around Malik’s house and took him out to lead the procession.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel