SRINAGAR: A youth was killed after being hit by tear gas shell in police and paramilitary forces action in downtown Srinagar on Sunday, taking the death toll of people killed in ongoing unrest to 68 while an eight-year-old boy, and a 50-year-old woman were among many injured in fresh pellet firing by cops in Kashmir, where curfew, restrictions and shutdown remained in force for 44th consecutive day on Sunday.
Irfan Ahmad, 18, was killed when he was hit by a tear gas shell fired by cops to disperse protestors in Malarata area near Nowhatta in downtown Srinagar this evening
Irfan was hit by tear gas shell in chest and taken to SMHS hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead.
With his death, the death toll of people killed in ongoing unrest in the Valley triggered by killing of 21-year-old Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan on July 8 has risen to 68. Over 6000 civilians and 3500 security personnel have also been injured in clashes between security personnel and youth during protests in Valley in last 44 days.
Meanwhile, an eight-year-old boy and a 50-year-old woman were among many injured in fresh pellet firing by cops in Kashmir, where curfew, restrictions and shutdown remained in force for 44th consecutive day on Sunday.
8-year-old Junaid Khan, a class 5th student, was injured in police firing at Qalamdanpora area of Nawab Bazar in downtown Srinagar yesterday evening.
He received pellet injuries in chest and was rushed to SMHS hospital, where he is undergoing treatment.
Two youth sustained pellet injury in Muminabad area of South Kashmir’s Anantnag district in police firing. One of the injured youth, a B-Tech student, was hit by pellets in eyes and was referred to Srinagar hospital for specialized treatment.
A 50-year-old woman, Raja Begum, also suffered multiple pellet injuries during protests in Fatehgarh area of Baramulla yesterday. Dozens of people were injured in the clashes with the security forces in the area.
According to official sources over 1500 people have suffered pellet injuries in police and paramilitary forces firing in the Valley in last 44 days.
Police and paramilitary force personnel enforced strict curfew and restrictions in Srinagar and other places of the Valley for the 44th day today. The cops had placed concertina wires on the roads to restrict public movement.
The curfew has been stricter from past few days with cops even not allowing media men to move freely.
The police and paramilitary personnel are also enforcing night curfew across the Valley.
A police official said day and night curfew in enforced in the Valley to maintain law and order and prevent people from taking to roads and staging protest demonstrations.
He said the strict 24x7 curfew will remain in force for some more time.
However, youth in Behrampora area of Sopore in Baramulla defied curfew and took out protest rally. Chanting pro-freedom and anti-India slogans, the protestors clashed with police and paramilitary personnel and pelted stones on them. The cops fired tear smoke shells and pellets and resorted to baton charge to disperse the protestors. Many people were injured in the clashes.
Police also used force on a marriage party in Trumgund area of Sopore in North Kashmir. At least half a dozen people were injured in the clashes.
The clashes between cops and youth were also reported from many other parts of the Valley.
Life in the Valley has remained crippled in last 44 days due to curbs imposed by authorities and shutdown called by the separatists.
Owing to continuous imposition of curfew, restrictions and shutdown people are facing shortage of essentials. The situation has been further aggravated as the truckers supply essentials and fuel to Kashmir have gone on indefinite strike to protest damage to trucks and tankers in Valley and press government to provide security cover to movement to trucks and tankers.
A police spokesman said three incidents of stone pelting were reported from Kangan in Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district and Sopore and Trumgund and Behrampora in Sopore in North Kashmir’s Baramull district.
“Apart from these incidents, the situation remained under control across the valley,” he said.