NEWS

1 dead in CRPF firing after fresh protests in Shopian

By Mukhtar Ahmad
September 11, 2013

A 25-year-old youngster was killed and eight others wounded when security forces opened fire on protestors in south Kashmir Gagran village on Wednesday afternoon prompting the authorities to reimpose curfew in Shopian town and adjacent areas.

Curfew in Shopian town, which had been tense since the killing of four youngsters on Saturday, had been lifted this morning.

Hundreds of protestors came out on the streets demanding the shifting of paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force camp from Gagran.

The protestors clashed with security force personnel who opened fire resulting in the death of Rafiq Ahmad.

The injured were evacuated to hospital for treatment.

The incident added to the tensions already prevailing in Shopian district forcing authorities reimpose curfew to contain the volatile situation.

More security force reinforcements have been rushed to the town to enforce the curfew and maintain law and order.

“We are collecting details about the firing incident and in the meantime have reimposed curfew in Shopian,” said Bashir Ahmad Bhat, district magistrate Shopian.

The government had drawn a lot of flak from separatist’s camp and the mainstream parties for the killing of the four youth in CRPF firing at Gagran in Shopian hours before the Zubin Mehta concert in Srinagar.

The hardline separatist leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani condemned the killing of the youth and called for a protest strike on Thursday.

A march to Shopian called by Geelani was foiled on Tuesday by the authorities by imposing curfew in three south Kashmir districts of Shopian, Kulgam and Pulwama. 

Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar

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