M A I N   N E W S

Under curfew, Valley sees clashes
15 hurt in fresh violence, CRPF battalion HQ attacked
Ehsan Fazili
Tribune News service

Protesters defy curfew in Valley.

Srinagar, September 14
At least 15 persons were injured in clashes between the police and stone-pelters, who defied curfew at several places in Kashmir today.

Curfew has been extended across the Valley to contain the escalating violence that saw 17 deaths on Monday.

Fresh clashes were reported from Baramulla, Warapora near Sopore, Handwara, Kupwara, Bandipore, Sumbal, Budgam, Pulwama, Zainakote, Bemina and Chhanapora.

Crucial AFSPA meet today New Delhi: On the eve of an all-party meeting to evolve a political consensus on the situation in the Valley, the BJP and security establishment remained firmly opposed to withdrawal or dilution of the AFSPA in the state. Though the Left parties supported the withdrawal of AFSPA, they refrained from pushing the Centre to take an immediate decision.

PDP to attend meet Srinagar: Opposition PDP, which stayed away from the earlier all-party meetings on Kashmir crisis, on Wednesday said it will attend the meeting convened by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh tomorrow to discuss the unrest in the Valley.

The police lobbed teargas shells to disperse demonstrators who hurled stones in Khanpora locality on the outskirts of Baramulla town this morning. One person was injured in the clash.

An irate mob attacked the battalion headquarters of the CRPF at Zainakote on the outskirts of Srinagar. One person was injured after the police retaliated.

With restrictions on the movement of traffic at several places along the Srinagar-Jammu national highway, the air traffic to the Valley remained disrupted as passengers could not reach the Srinagar airport. The authorities have decided to suspend the flights for the safety of passengers till Thursday.

A police spokesman here said that curfew has been imposed in all major towns of the Valley. The areas include Srinagar city, Budgam town, Choon, Mirgund, Ompora, Narkara, Shekhpora, Humhama, IG Road, Gulwanpora, Nadir Gund, Chadoora,Wathoora,Ganderbal, Kangan, Anantnag town, Bijbhera, Kulgam, Qoimoh, Pulwama town, Shopian town, Pampore, Lethpora, Awantipora, Baramulla town, Tangmarg, Sopore town, Kupwara town, Tregham, Kralpora, Handwara, Chotipora, Kulangam and Bandipora town.

The restrictions were extended following Monday’s violence that was triggered after reports of an alleged desecration of Quran in USA. The state government has appealed to the people to maintain calm and banned Iranian news channel Press TV that aired the report.

The building of a private school was set ablaze by an agitated mob in Pulwama district town of south Kashmir last evening, the police said. The residential house and two other adjacent structures belonging to a police constable were set on fire at Thandan, Kreeri in Baramulla district last evening. A mob also took out the belongings of the police personnel guarding a religious place at Anantnag and set them on fire, the police said. A police vehicle was torched at Charier Sharief in Budgam district last evening.

Meanwhile, one Khazir Mohammad Nadaf was injured in a clash between two groups at Bomai in Sopore area of Baramulla district on Tuesday. An FIR has been lodged under Section 307 against the accused, said cops.