Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Mar 7: Stone-throwing clashes erupted amid shutdown in Kulgam town of South Kashmir today against the killing of a local Hizbul Mujahideen militant commander, Sheikh Dawood, in an encounter with security forces last night.
Hundreds of people this morning turned up for the funeral of Dawood at Qoimoh area of Kulgam Town. Soon after the funeral hundreds of angry protesters clashed with security forces.
Protesters resorted to heavy stone-pelting on police and Central Reserve Police Force in Qoimoh and Khudwani areas even as the security forces were deployed in strength to maintain law and order and to prevent massive participation of people in the funeral of the slain commander.
As the clashes turned intense, police retaliated by firing dozens of teargas shells and pellets towards protesters, resulting in injuries to five stone-throwers, who were later hospitalized. Police also fired several rounds in air to restore the order. The stone-throwers attacked a bunker of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) bunker inside a SKAUST campus at Kulgam Town with stones.
Besides clashes, a spontaneous shutdown was observed in Kulgam and in parts of neighbouring Anantnag district.
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