M A I N   N E W S

Kishtwar violence: Tension eases in 7 curfew-bound districts
Ravi Krishnan Khajuria & Arteev Sharma/TNS

Jammu, August 13
Four days on since Kishtwar riots, tension eased in curfew-bound seven districts out of 10 in Jammu region today while annual Amarnath Yatra resumed this morning under Army protection after three days of suspension. The fresh batch safely reached Kashmir this evening.

Relaxations given in some of the affected areas across Jammu region this morning and in the evening, except Kishtwar district, passed off peacefully and it was a better and incident-free day today, said Jammu Divisional Commisioner Shantmanu here this evening.

However, 19 more trouble makers were arrested across the Jammu region taking the total number of detained to 141 so far. Kishtwar Deputy Commissioner Baseer Khan said: Though the situation remained peaceful and normal throughout the day in the town, but no relaxation in curfew was given.

“We are constantly assessing the situation and things have been improving. We had a first round of meeting with civil society and a follow-up meeting will be held tomorrow to restore normalcy,” he said.

The annual Amarnath Yatra resumed from Jammu after remaining suspended for three consecutive days due to Kishtwar violence. “The Amarnath Yatra resumed early this morning. At least 225 pilgrims were allowed to move from here to the Valley around 4.30 am under the Army protection,” a police official said.

However, normal traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar highway has still not resumed while traffic on the Pathankot-Jammu and Jammu-Srinagar highways was halted following tension in some areas, he said.