SRINAGAR: A government school and two vehicles were set ablaze and a petrol bomb hurled on vending carts by unknown persons in Kashmir, where separatists-sponsored shutdown continued for 111th day on Thursday.
A police official said Government Primary School at Tapper, Pattan area in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district was set on fire by unknown persons late last night.
He said the three-room building was gutted in the fire.
It was the 19th school building set on fire by unknown persons in the Valley, which has been witnessing unrest after the killing of 21-year-old Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8.
Kashmir has been witnessing separatists sponsored shutdown since July 9. At least 92 people including two policemen have been killed, over 13000 civilians injured and more than 8000 people arrested in last 111 days in the Valley.
The police official said miscreants set on fire an auto-rickshaw at Rainawari in downtown Srinagar last evening.
He said the three-wheeler was destroyed in the fire.
A truck was set ablaze by unknown persons at Parimpora area in outskirts of the city last evening.
However, a police spokesman said last night residual material lying on the road side in Parimpora Fruit Mandi was set on fire as a normal activity.
“A damaged truck, which was dumped at the same place, caught fire,” he said.
He said some unknown persons hurled a petrol bomb on vending carts near Iqbal market Sopore in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
“However, no loss of life or injury was reported in the incident,” he said adding police has launched investigation.
Meanwhile, the shutdown continued in the Valley for the 111th consecutive day today. All shops, business establishments and educational institutions remained closed while public transport was off the roads. Some private vehicles were plying on the roads in Srinagar.
A police official said adequate deployment of police and security forces was made at vulnerable points in Srinagar city and other parts of the Valley to facilitate movement of vehicles.
The youth at some places in downtown Srinagar and Karimabad area in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district took to roads and staged anti-India demonstrations. Chanting pro-freedom, pro-Pakistan and anti-India slogans, the protestors pelted stones on the police and paramilitary personnel, who fired tear smoke shells and resorted to heavy baton charge. The clashes continued for some time.
The authorities, meanwhile, are likely to impose curfew-like restrictions in Srinagar and parts of Valley tomorrow to foil the separatists march to historic Jamia Masjid.
The moderate separatist leader and cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who was released after detention on Monday evening, has called for march to historic Jamia Masjid mosque in downtown Srinagar, where authorities have disallowed Friday congregation prayers for past 15 weeks.
Meanwhile, a police spokesman said two hardcore stone pelters identified as Humair alias Nelcha and Zahid Rasool Shiekh, both residents of downtown Srinagar, were arrested by police from Jammu.
He said the duo was involved in many stone pelting and arson cases. “Many FIRs were registered against them by police and they were evading arrest."