Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Aug 21: Clashes between protesters and security forces broke out in parts of valley today including in Old City and in southern district of Kulgam while as masked youth yet again raised the flags of middle-east based Islamic State (IS), Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and Pakistan here.
Groups of youth assembled outside the Jama Masjid and raised the large flags of IS, LeT and Pakistan. The youth shouted slogans in favour of militants and IS leader, Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi.
They, for the first time, also displayed a large sized picture of Baghdadi, who is the caliph of IS. Although the pictures of militant leaders including slain Al Qaeda leader, Osama Bin Laden, have been displayed in Valley in past but this is for the first time that Baghdadi’s picture was displayed.
The raising of IS flags has come at a time when valley separatists and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin had criticized the outfit, saying it has no role in Kashmir.
Subsequently, a clash between police and protesters broke out in the area, which continued for over an hour. The police fired teargas shells and also chased away the rock-throwing protesters.
The clashes between the police and protesters spread to adjoining areas of Saraf Kadal and Rajouri Kadal. During the clashes, police detained several youths.
Meanwhile, violent clashes broke out between residents and security forces after three youths were reportedly rounded up overnight by a probe team of NIA. Though the two of them were released today but another one identified as Majid Ahmad Bhat, a resident of Redwani area of the district, is still under custody and is being questioned.
During the clashes, several protesters sustained minor injuries while police used teargas shells to disperse them.
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