Valley remains on edge as another civilian dies
SRINAGAR/JAMMU: A youth was killed in firing by security forces in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Saturday, taking the toll of people killed to 41 on the eighth day of the protests triggered by the death of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.
Police said protesters tried to storm a police post in Hatmulla, Kupwara, prompting the cops to retaliate. “At Hatmulla, a violent mob attacked the police post and attempted to set it on fire. While dealing with the situation, one person was injured, who later succumbed to his injuries,” a police spokesman said.
The authorities imposed curfew in the Valley, even as separatists have extended their strike call for three days from Saturday.
Police said protests and stone pelting continued at several places in the three north-Kashmir distrcts of Kupwara, Bandipora and Baramulla.
Security force personnel, including an officer, were injured in the clashes and have been referred to Srinagar.
Meanwhile, the J&K government said 1,882 persons have been injured in the ongoing turmoil. While 600-odd people received pellet injuries, 125 were hit by bullets.
The government also said a total of 93 ambulances were damaged in the unrest, with the highest being in Anantnag (35).
In good news for Amarnath pilgrims though, the annual yatra resumed from Jammu on Saturday afternoon.
“A fresh batch of 3,236 pilgrims left Bhagwati Nagar base camp here for the cave shrine in a fleet of 108 vehicles under tight security arrangements at around 3.20pm,” Jammu divisional commissioner Dr Pawan Kotwal said.
The 48-day long pilgrimage was suspended twice due to violence in Kashmir.
Kashmir has been virtually brought under press emergency. This is unprecedented. Earlier on Saturday, police parties raided the press premises of prominent newspapers, including those of Rising Kashmir, Greater Kashmir, Kashmir Images and Kashmir Times, stopped the workmen from going ahead with the printing, detained some of them briefly and seized the copies that had already been out of the machine. This was apparently done to black out the news that would tell the people that the death toll in the violence in Kashmir had touched 43. Later, the editors of these newspapers were told by the government that they could