Srinagar, Sept 19 : A woman bystander was killed when security forces opened fire on Sunday to quell a mob of protesters at Sopore in the Valley where curfew was reimposed in major towns including Srinagar as three more youths succumbed to injuries with the overall death toll in the current wave of violence in the state climbing to 103.
A mob started hurling stones at security personnel in the apple town of Sopore, 55 kms from here late this evening, official sources said. The security forces first used batons and teargas shells to disperse the mob but when it did not budge they fired warning shots. A 25-year-old woman, identified as Mobina, who was standing on the first floor balcony of her house, was hit by a stray bullet.
She was rushed to a hospital in critical condition where she was declared dead on arrival, they said. The day had passed off peacefully across the valley till the Sopore incident took place.
Elsewhere, curfew was reimposed today in Srinagar and other major towns of Kashmir Valley, where the death toll in the ongoing unrest has now risen to 103 with three more persons including a youth leader of opposition People's Democratic patrty (PDP) succumbing to injuries. Bilal Ahmad Najar, the Anantnag district youth president of PDP, died at SMHS hospital here in the wee hours, officials said.
Najar was injured in the security forces firing yesterday as he was allegedly leading a mob that attacked the residence of a Samajwadi party leader Fayaz Ahmad Bhat at Khanabal during the funeral procession of a youth who had drowned last week.
Two other youth, Mohammad Amin Ganai of Tappar-Pattan in Baramulla and Shabir Ahmad Dar of Lider Mund village in Pulwama, also succumbed to their injuries at SKIMS hospital Soura, the officials said. While Ganai was injured on September 17, Dar was hit by a bullet in alleged security forces firing on September 13.
All the three deceased have been laid to rest in their respective villages, the spokesman said. Curfew was reimposed in Srinagar and all major towns of the Valley notwithstanding the separatists' decision to exempt the day from protests and strikes.
Hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who has been issuing weekly agitation calenders, had exempted the day from protests and strikes, and asked people to carry out their normal activities.
Among the members of the delegation will be Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj (BJP), Mulayam Singh (SP), T R Baalu (DMK), Ramvilas Paswan (LJP), Sharad Yadav (JD-U), Rajniti Prasad (RJD), Dinesh Trivedi (Trinamool), E Ahamed (Indian Union Muslim League) and Govind Rao Adik (NCP).
Asaduddin Owaisi (AIMIM), Rattan Singh Ajnala (SAD), Narhari Mahato (Forward Bloc), Prasanto Majumdar (RSP), M Thambidurai (AIADMK), Basudeb Acharya (CPM), Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI) and Farooq Abdullah of the National Conference will also come but representatives of Shiv Sena and TRS are yet to confirm their arrival in Kashmir.
Geelani ruled out meeting the delegation saying its mandate was limited to holding talks within the framework of the Indian constitution.
Mirwaiz said, "we are in consultation with our constituents and even like-minded parties outside Hurriyat including JKLF, to decide on the invitation of meeting the all-party delegation." He said a decision on the issue will be taken by tomorrow. Mirwaiz said it was ironic that on one hand, he was being invited to meet the delegation and on the other, he has been placed under house arrest. "Minutes after getting the invitation for the meeting, I have been placed under house arrest," he said. PTI
