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Two die in firing as protesters turn violent
Ehsan Fazili
Tribune News service

Sopore (Baramulla), May 31
Tension gripped the Watlab area, near here, today when angry demonstrators protested against the security forces for alleged carelessness leading to the boat tragedy in which 20 students, a teacher and a peon were killed last evening.

Two persons, including an unidentified militant and a civilian, were killed and four injured in the firing incident that occurred during fresh violence rocking the area this morning, while a complete shutdown was observed here and other adjacent areas mourning the death of school children.

The trouble started when five more bodies of children were fished out from the lake this morning. Seventeen other bodies, including those of 15 children, a teacher and a peon, were fished out last evening.

Traffic was disrupted today on the Sopore-Bandipore road that passes through Watlab, due to protest demonstrations and fresh violence. All shops and business establishments remained closed and educational institutions in most parts of Baramula district were closed due to the spontaneous strike. However, traffic on other routes plied normally. The protest demonstrators also targeted vehicles carrying media persons to the spot of the tragedy since early morning. The police and security forces sealed off the area to prevent any more trouble. Media vehicles were also targeted in Handwara town this afternoon, where the bodies of children were being buried.

The boat accident turned ugly when an irate mob of 500 to 600 carrying sticks tried to attack the Naval detachment area in Watlab after coming to know that five more bodies had been recovered this morning.

As the Army and the police tried to control the mob, someone from the mob fired at the soldiers in which one Army jawan suffered a gun-shot wound. The troops retaliated with fire and killed one alleged militant and a civilian in the mob. One pistol has been recovered from the slain militant, whose identity is being ascertained, the spokesman added.

The spokesman claimed that three more persons from the mob have been taken in custody for inciting the people. The circumstances leading to this unfortunate and regrettable incident are being investigated, he added. Earlier in the morning, three others had sustained injuries in the ding dong battle between the angry demonstrators and the police.