As Eid arrives, curfew lifted from Valley

Curfew was lifted on Thursday from all parts of the Kashmir Valley on the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr.

"Curfew has been lifted from all parts of Srinagar city, and Anatnag and Bijbehara towns in south Kashmir in view of Eid-ul Fitr," a police official told PTI.

Eid-ul Fitr will be celebrated on Friday or Saturday, depending on the sighting of the new moon, which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadhan.

Curfew was imposed in Srinagar city on Tuesday and in Anantnag and Bijbehara towns on Wednesday after violent protests broke out in these areas over the killing of four persons allegedly in police firing at Palhalan in Pattan area of Baramulla district, 30 kms from Srinagar, on Monday.

Meanwhile, a police spokesman said several incidents of stone-pelting and arson were reported from different parts of Srinagar and Budgam district late on Wednesday evening.

"Some miscreants torched a car at Ompora in Budgam district," he said. A 55-year-old civilian, identified as Ghulam Mohammed Guroo, was injured when he was apparently hit by a brick during a stone pelting incident at Bemina, the spokesman said.

A youth was injured when security forces fired pellets to disperse an unruly mob at Telbal in the outskirts of the city on Wednesday evening.

Bilal Ahmad Bhat has been admitted to a hospital, the spokesman said. He said an alleged stone pelter, Showkat Ahmed Khan, was injured when he was hit by a plastic pellet fired by security forces to chase away a mob of miscreants at Beehama in Ganderbal district.

Another youth was injured under similar circumstances in Chattabal area of the city, he added. Kashmir Valley has been rocked by violent protests after killing of a youth by a tear smoke shell at Rajouri Kadal area of the city on June 11. The fresh unrest has left 69 persons dead and several others injured.