People remain busy during relaxation period across Kashmir
By Reyaz Ahmed, NAK,
Handwara/Srinagar : While entire valley continued to remain under strict curfew with two hours relaxation in few districts, two more persons were killed and another was critically injured on Wednesday when security forces opened fire on protesters who defied curfew in Handwara tehsil of Kupwara and Budgam districts as violence erupted again in the Valley after a brief lull.
Official sources said that a group of people tried to defy curfew in Soibugh area of Budgam in the afternoon and raised anti-India slogans, prompting police and army to resort to baton charge and teargas shelling to disperse the protestors.
“As the mob went out of control, after stone pelting, the security forces opened fire resulting in death of one Hilal Ahmad Mir”, sources added.
Another youth was hit by a teargas shell and was shifted to a hospital here in a critical condition.
Earlier, a group of protesters started raising pro-freedom and anti-India slogans after offering afternoon prayers at Banday Mohalla in Handwara area of Kupwara district, the sources said.
Army personnel opened fire to disperse the mob in which one person identified as Mohammad Yousuf Banday was injured. He was shifted to a hospital here where doctors declared him brought dead.
However, people denied that any protest demonstration was held after prayers.
A local resident Ashiq Hussain told News Agency of Kashmir, as people were returning from mosque after offering prayers, troops of 21 R.R caught hold dozens of people and thrashed severely in which 18 persons were injured.
“When people came out for the rescue of the arrestees, army fired on people in which Mohammad Yousuf Banday sustained bullet injuries in his abdomen and was rushed to sub-district t hospital Hundwara,” said Ashiq Hussain with lump in his throat.
He added that people took the injured to hospital and protested in hospital premises and police fired teargas shells and resorted to aerial firing which disrupted treatment process in the hospital as teargas shells were fired in Operation Theater.
Agitated over the firing, more people gathered in the area and pelted stones on cops resulting in minor injuries to five police personnel.
With these, the death toll in firing by security forces on curfew-defying protesters has now gone up to eight in since Sunday evening.
Meanwhile people remain busy in purchasing essentials during the relaxation period today. “we feel a bit relieved during the relaxation” said a local resident Ahad Mir, adding, but due to non-availability of essentials of daily use it seems difficult to survive.
He said the most of the people who are totally dependent on daily earnings suffer and even face starvation during the last few days.