Srinagar- Two civilians were killed on Saturday and 40 people, including 30 policemen, as widespread clashes between protesters and security forces erupted in the Kashmir Valley today as indefinited curfew was imposed on major towns including Srinagar.
As the casuality in the violence since yesterday rose to six, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah again issued an appeal to the people to remain vigilant against the sinister designs of "vested interests" against peace.
Chairing a high-level meeting here, he also announced formation of three ministerial teams for Baramulla, Anantnag and Pulwama districts which will work with the citizen groups for speedy restoration of peace in those areas.
The first casuality of the day took place at Naidkhai in Sumbal area when hundreds of people gathered outside a Jammu and Kashmir Armed Police's battalion headquarters and tried to ransack it and set it on fire besides snatching the weapons of the personnel.
Repeated requests followed by canecharging, teargas and firing in area proved futile as the crowd turned hostile and injured Superintendent of Police (Bandipore) Sheikh Junaid and 10 others.
Police were compelled to open fire in which one person Muddasir Ahmed Lone received bullet injuries and later succumbed to his wounds in hospital.
The second death took place in Baramulla area where a youth -- Javed Ahmed -- was hit by a rubber bullet. He was shifted to SKIMS where he died late this evening.
Barring Handwara, Ganderbal and Budgam, rest of the valley remained under curfew.
Protestors clashed with police at various places in the Valley and burnt the Special Operations Camp in Pattan in North Kashmir besides ransacking the railway station at Amargarh in Sopore. The protestors also burnt a fire tender which had come to douse the flames.
Police and para-military forces staged a march in the entire Srinagar city and requested people to remain indoors and not to defy the curfew.
Five persons were injured when security forces fired at protestors who attacked a CRPF patrol which was enforcing curfew in Kreeri in Pattan, police said.
The security forces made several attempts to disperse the crowd but it turned more violent and tried to snatch the rifles of the CRPF jawans, they said, adding security forces then opened fire to quell the mob.
Violence was also reported from Kakpora in Pulwama district of South Kashmir where a Deputy Superintendent of Police was injured besides another six police personnel.
Violence also broke out in Pampore, 16 kms from here, where locals attacked policemen, injuring 10 personnel. In the same area, a mob set afire two Indian Air Force vehicles after asking those on board to get down.
At the high-level meeting, the Chief Minister also warned that anti-social elements damaging public property will be dealt with firmly and none will be allowed to vitiate the atmposphere in the state and threaten the common man.
Appealing to all sections of the society to extend wholehearted cooperation in restoration of peace and normalcy in the Valley, the Chief Minister reiterated the commitment of his government to restore law and order and normalcy and fight the forces of disruption.
"Anti-social elements who indulge in damage of public property will be dealt with firmly and nobody would be allowed to vitiate the atmosphere in any part of the state," he said.
The Chief Minister said all necessary measures will be taken to safeguard life and property of citizens and added that under no circumstances the common man will be allowed to suffer."
The ministerial teams for Baramulla, Anantnag and Pulwama will remain stationed at the district headquarters and work for speedy restoration of peace and normalcy.
They will also monitor the day-to-day situation personally and initiate measures for return of peace.
It was also decided at the meeting that security forces should be advised to exercise maximum restraint and those taking law into their hands be dealt with sternly.
Meanwhile, with the killing of six more youth in the Valley, main opposition PDP has convened a special meeting of its legislature party tomorrow to discuss the "unprecedented crisis".
"The atrocity on innocent civilians has reached an intolerable level while innocent killings of youth has assumed dimensions of an unprecedented crisis. To discuss this, we have called a special meeting of the legislature party here tomorrow," PDP General Secretary Mohammed Dilawar Mir said in a statement.
Expressing outrage at the situation, Mir said it was becoming difficult to keep a count of such deaths.
"It seems the government owes the people who elected it only bullets, lathies and atrocities", he said, adding, it was unfortunate that the situation was not being realistically assessed even after huge loss of life and damage to the credibility of the system. PTI
