Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, July 26: Security forces faced tough time today as curfew was lifted from summer capital Srinagar after 17 days during which scores of protesters were hurt as police resorted to massive teargas shelling in the city including near city centre Lal Chowk.
Authorities today lifted curfew from summer capital Srinagar after 17 days but there was heavy deployment of police and para-military CRPF at several places. Police sources said that strict curfew will be imposed in parts of Srinagar tomorrow.
The Government has decided to restore the postpaid mobile services from tonight after immense pressure and observations made by Jammu and Kashmir High Court regarding hardships faced by the people due to snatching of mobile services. A senior official of major private telecom operator told Excelsior that they are working on restoring the postpaid services after getting Government nod.
Soon after the curfew was lifted today, hundreds of youths took to streets in entire old city area and clashed with police and CRPF. Police and CRPF fired tear smoke shells to disperse the protesters and ding dong battles continued throughout the day.
The protesters not only blocked main roads in old city but the lanes and by-lanes as well to block movement of the traffic and security forces in the area.
Police and security forces intercepted three big protests at Safa Kadal, Baba Demb and Jehangir Chowk areas of City with police resorting to massive teargas shelling and shotgun firing.
At least 10 protesters were injured in the police action but protests were on till this report was being filed tonight. The clashes also erupted at Saida Kadal, Rainawari, Nowpora, Nawa Kadal and Darish Kadal areas of Srinagar city.
The situation turned extremely tense after a huge procession of over 2000 protesters that was on way to Lal Chowk from old city areas reached Budshah Chowk and was intercepted by police.
Police lobbed dozens of teargas shells to foil their efforts to reach Lal Chowk. Police chased the protesters from Hari Singh High Street, Exhibition Crossing and Shaheed Gunj Old Secretariat.
The protesters, however, gave stiff resistance to police and CRPF. Later, clashes erupted near DC office Srinagar and adjoining areas. The clashes also spread to Kani Kadal, Chotta Bazar, Batamaloo and Karan Nagar. Over two dozen protesters were injured in the clashes.
In Srinagar’s Lal Chowk, few shops opened after over 20 days, for the first time after Eid. However, majority of the shops remained closed as there was tension across the city.
A 61-year-old man from Srinagar today died after he failed to control his two wheeler during clashes at Eidgah in old city area.
Mushtaq Ahmed of Rajouri Kadal who was on his two wheeler when forces resorted to shelling at protestors at Eidgah lost control of the vehicle and fell down. He was critically injured and succumbed to injures.
In view of massive protests, police sources said that a strict curfew would be clamped in most parts of the Srinagar tomorrow as a precautionary measure.
In the meantime, curfew continued in Anantnag district of South Kashmir but clashes erupted at several places in the district. At Malaknag area of Anantnag, protesters took to streets, leading to clashes with security forces. Six persons were injured in the clashes.
At Charsoo in Awantipora area of Pulwama district, a large procession was taken out by people but security forces foiled it.
The protesters in Sumbal in Bandipora attacked local police station while at Warpora, Sopore, people pelted stones on police post. A CRPF camp at SDH Sopore was also stoned by youth.
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