Manan Wani’s killing: Clashes, shutdown disrupt life in Valley
Additional forces deployed in the old city and several parts of Kupwara; Friday prayers not allowed at Jamia Masjid
A day after the killing of PhD scholar-turned-militant Manan Wani, clashes erupted in his native area Lolab on Friday.
The clashes erupted in several villages in Lolab and Kupwara after Friday prayers. Police used lathicharge and tear gas shells to disperse protestors. A funeral in absentia for Wani was also organised in south Kashmir’s Anantnag town.
The Valley witnessed complete shutdown against the killing of Wani in an encounter at Handwara on Thursday.
The call for strike was given by Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) on Thursday evening. While vehicles remained off roads, the train services were also suspended.
The additional forces were deployed in the old city and in several parts of Kupwara from Friday morning as officials had apprehensions of protests in these areas.
Even Friday prayers were not allowed in city’s grand mosque Jamia Masjid.
“Even as #Kashmir shuts to mourn scholar #ShaheedMananWani, Downtown under strict curfew, prayers at #JamaMasjid again barred for the 15th Friday this year while arbitrary arrests PSAs on activists,suspension of Kashmiri students from universities,repeated closure of colleges and..universities to disallow dissent continues unabated. This repression coupled with intransigence of Govt of India pushes young boys to armed resistance and a cycle of death and loss,” tweeted Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.
27-year-old Wani, was killed along with his associate at Shatpora Handwara after the army and police had launched a joint operation in the area.
Wani’s body was handed over to his family late on Thursday and thousands of villagers participated in his funeral held at Sogam late in the night.
He had joined Hizbul Mujahideen in January this year.