M A I N   N E W S

Valley on boil, 4 dead in 24 hours
Army deployed as curfew reimposed in Srinagar after clashes
Ehsan Fazili
Tribune News Service

Protesters run for cover as the police fires teargas shells during a clash on Tuesday. — PTI

Srinagar, July 6
Four youths, including a woman, were killed and 100 others injured in fresh clashes that broke out between the cops and protesters in the valley over the past 24 hours. For its part, the administration has reimposed curfew in the area and the Army was called out by late evening.

The violence erupted in Batamaloo locality today following the death of a youth, Muzaffar Ahmad Bhat, whose body was fished out from a nearby Gangbugh nullah. Alleging that the youth was beaten up and then thrown into the stream by CRPF personnel last evening, the locals — carrying Bhat’s body — organised a protest demonstration today. They even hurled bricks and stones at police and CRPF personnel.

Notably, today’s stone-pelting incident follows a similar confrontation yesterday during the visit of a minister and a local MLA in the area, whose guards took to firing to chase away a mob of protesters.

According to eyewitnesses, the security personnel resorted to lathicharge as the mob went berserk. Later, the securitymen took to firing, which left a youth, Fayaz Ahmad Wani, and a 25-year-old woman, Fancy, dead while a few others were injured.

About Fancy, the cops said she died after being hit by a stray bullet. Though she was rushed to the SMHS hospital, doctors there declared her “brought dead”. Enraged, the protesters damaged a security picket outside the house of the local MLA.

Then, another youth, Abrar Ahmad Bhat, was killed while four others sustained injured in firing by security personnel in Maisuma area.

As soon as the reports of the deaths spread, people took to streets in different parts of the city, including central Lal Chowk area, Hari Singh High Street and Maisuma, protesting against what they termed as “human rights violations”. In Solina (on the airport road), an official Ambassador car was set ablaze.

Notably, today’s violence also left at least seven photo-journalists injured.

The Army was deployed to enforce curfew imposed after the killing of three youths allegedly in firing by security forces. The decision was taken in view of the fact that adequate police personnel were not available to deal with the situation as they have been deployed for Amarnath Yatra.