SRINAGAR: Despite improvement in situation, there has been no let up in police crackdown on youth and separatists in Kashmir, which has been witnessing over three month long unrest triggered by killing of 21-year-old Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.
“More than 100 people involved in disrupting public order in the Valley were arrested by police in last 24 hours,” a police official told Express.
He said police had arrested 122 people on Tuesday for involvement in stone pelting and disrupting public order.
The official said police arrested 60 people, mostly youth on October 17, 62 on October 16, 48 on October 15, 63 on October 14, 52 on October 13 and 37 on October 12 during its continued crackdown on stone pelters and trouble mongers.
Police alongwith other security agencies have launched a massive crackdown on youth and separatist leaders in the Valley to end the ongoing protests and unrest.
Kashmir has been witnessing unrest and agitation since July 9, a day after killing of Burhan in an encounter with security forces.
At least 91 people have been killed and over 13000 injured in the 103 days of unrest and agitation in the Valley. On the call of separatist leaders, who are spearheading the ongoing agitation, Kashmir has remained shut since July 8.
“The security agencies have compiled a list of stone pelters and trouble mongers across the Valley. All those, who are disrupting peace, would not be spared and put behind bars,” the police official said.
He said only after the police crackdown on youth and separatist leaders, there has been a semblance of normalcy in the Valley and number of anti-government protests and clashes have come down.
The police, paramilitary forces and army on Monday launched massive 12-hour long search operation in in North Kashmir’s Baramulla town to arrest the “trouble mongers”.
It was the major crackdown conducted by Baramulla by security forces in over a decade and security personnel had sealed all the roads and bridges connecting to the town.
“During the 12-hour long operation, security forces searched over 700 houses. 44 persons involved in militancy related activities were apprehended during the operation. Large quantity of incriminating material including Chinese and Pakistan flags, petrol bombs, Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jasih-e-Mohammad letter head pads, unauthorized mobile phones and seditious anti-national publicity material were also seized during the operation,” a defence spokesman said.
According to police sources, over 7000 people including youth and separatist leaders and activists have been arrested in last three month of unrest to restore peace and normalcy in the Valley.
They said of the over 7000 people arrested, more than 450 have been booked under stringent Public Safety Act (PSA).
Barring 87-year-old hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani, who is under house arrest at his Hyderpora residence, other separatist leaders including Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Shabir Ahmad Shah, Mohammad Yasin Malik, Mohammad Ashraf Sehrai have been arrested and lodged in different jails and detention centres.
The police official said crackdown will continue till normalcy and peace is fully restored in the Valley.