Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Aug 23: Border Security Force (BSF), which was deployed in Srinagar yesterday for law and order duty, today occupied several school buildings as fresh troops are arriving soon to join them. Elsewhere, the house of an MLA was attacked as curfew, restrictions and shutdown continued in Kashmir for 46th day today.
The BSF, which was deployed in Srinagar yesterday for law and order duty, today occupied several school buildings in Srinagar to set up their camps. The BSF occupied SP Higher Secondary at MA Road near Lal Chowk and DAVP School at Jawahar Nagar.
Centre has rushed 26 BSF companies of BSF to the Valley which have been drawn from Gujarat, Rajasthan and West Bengal and 30 more companies are joining them in next few days to augment the para-military security forces. Already 133 companies of CRPF have been deployed in Kashmir after the start of the unrest.
The BSF would assist the Police and CRPF in law and order in the Valley. The BSF, which conducted anti-militancy operations in Kashmir for nearly 13 years from 1991, was replaced in the city by CRPF in 2004.
It was taken off from counter-insurgency operations in Kashmir in 2004 and was moved to their primary duty of guarding the borders. This is for the first time since 2004 that the force has been called for active duty in the city.
Over a dozen persons were injured as protests and clashes continued in parts of Kashmir valley amid curfew, restrictions and shut down today.
Curfew continued in Srinagar’s Old City, Maisuma and Batamaloo areas while it was relaxed in Lal Chowk and other civilian areas but deployments of security forces including BSF continue to remain in place. During relaxation in curfew, some private vehicles were seen plying along Residency Road and MA Road in Lal Chowk. However, authorities imposed curfew strictly in Civil Lines areas including at Lal Chowk in the evening.
The situation in City here remained peaceful today but clashes erupted in Old City areas in the evening. However, security forces chased away the protesters by firing tear smoke shells.
The curfew also continued in Pulwama, Anantnag and few other townships of South Kashmir. At least 11 persons were injured when security forces opened firing on protesters at Nowgam village in Shopian district of South Kashmir. The clashes in the area erupted after security forces were clearing Vihil and Nowgam roads in the district. The injured received bullet and pellet injuries and three of them were shifted to Srinagar for treatment.
Clashes also erupted in Malangam village of Bandipora. Security forces fired tear smoke shells on protesters. The clashes also erupted at Qoil and Aaloosa villages of the district.
A woman identified as Hassena was injured after she was hit by a teargas shell in her abdomen in Watpora village of Bandipora during clashes. The woman has been hospitalized.
At Bandipora, the protesters attacked the official residence of Congress MLA Usman Majeed with stones, but he was not present there. The security men, however, closed the gate and didn’t retaliate.
Shops, commercial establishments, education institutions and most of the banks remained closed. The Government offices including Civil Secretariat continued to witness low attendance.
Although National Highway has been restored for day traffic but only few vehicles were seen plying on it. The major roads in Kashmir remained blocked as protesters have erected barricades at several places.
The train services between Banihal and Baramulla also remained disrupted for 46th day today.
The prepaid mobile services and mobile internet services also continue to remain blocked as precautionary measures to prevent violence.
Police today said that following improvement in situation curfew was lifted from the most areas of the Srinagar where situation remained normal. “There was increased movement of the people and the vehicular traffic in Srinagar today. However, curfew remained in force in Anantnag district and five police station areas of down town city besides, Batamaloo, Maisuma and Kralkhud”, statement issued by the police said.
The spokesman said there was greater movement of people in many areas of the valley following the improvement in the situation. “Three incidents of stone pelting were reported from Shopian, Srinagar and Sopore till the filling of this report. These incidents, the spokesman said, were reported from Vehil in Shopian, Nowgam Chowk near Ahmad Hospital in Srinagar and Khushal colony in Sopore. Except for these incidents situation remained under control across the valley till the filing of this report,” the spokesman added.
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