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Four killed in Kashmir police firings

Shujaat Bukhari

Hurriyat leaders whisked away

SRINAGAR: Four persons were killed and about 200 injured on Monday as the CRPF and the Army opened fire on protesters, who defied curfew and staged demonstrations, at several places in Kashmir.

The authorities whisked away Hurriyat leaders Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq to stop them from marching to the Lal Chowk here to take out an “independence” rally.

The deaths occurred in Handwara, Pulwama, Narbal and Hajin. As thousands of people from these areas took out processions to come here to take part in the rally, defying curfew, the CRPF and the Army tried to stop them by bursting teargas shells. Later, they opened fire.

While a boy and a youth were killed in Narbal and Pulwama, a woman died in Handwara. A protester, who suffered injuries in Hajin, died later.

Sub Divisional Police Officer Sumbal Harmeet Singh told The Hindu that in Hajin, militants sneaked into the crowd and opened fire at the cavalcade of Deputy Commissioner of Bandipore.

A mob surrounded four vehicles of the convoy and damaged them. The officer was rescued and 50 police and CRPF personnel were injured in the clashes, Mr. Singh said.

The Station House Officer of Magam was injured in Narbal in clashes with stone-pelting protesters. Reports from Bandipore, Tangmarg, Tral and Verinag suggested that processions were taken out.

However, in major towns, the Army did not allow any one to move out.

Iron hand

Though separatists were allowed to hold three major rallies in the past one week, the government this time decided to stop them with an iron hand. It took several measures to curb the Hurriyat Conference’s attempts to hold a dharna at the Lal Chowk.

The Mirwaiz and Mr. Geelani, who head the rival factions of the Hurriyat Conference, were arrested from their residences in the early hours of Monday. Both were taken to unknown destinations, but reportedly detained here.

Yasin Malik arrested

Later, when JKLF chief Yasin Malik tried to stage a demonstration in the Lal Chowk, he was arrested.

Police made several attempts to arrest the middle rung leaders of the Hurriyat but they went underground.

The police cordoned the Lal Chowk with barbed wire and tin sheets. The city was virtually turned into a fortress with thousands of CRPF and police personnel dotting the roads. No one was allowed to move out.

The situation here was under control but it was on the edge elsewhere in the Valley.

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