Strike cripples Kashmir again

Rubber bullet injuries to three youth in north Kashmir Baramulla town and sporadic incidents of violence in other parts of the valley marked the second day of separatist called protest shutdown which paralyzed life in Kashmir Tuesday.

The old city of Srinagar continued to remain under curfew-like-restrictions with no pedestrian and vehicular movement being allowed by the security forces.

The areas under seven police stations continued to remain under a thick security blanket with road intersections being blocked by coils of razor fitted wire and streets being patrolled by heavily armed soldiers of the paramilitary, central reserve police force (CRPF).

Life in the civil lines area where the restrictions were less stringent also remained paralyzed with police and CRPF troops patrolling the streets, lanes and by-lanes.

Shops, businesses, banks and educational institutions remained closed in summer capital. Examinations scheduled for the day were postponed by the authorities.

Public transport remained completely off the roads while skeletal private transport was seen plying in the uptown areas.
Police had to use teargas and baton charges to disperse stone pelting mobs at nearly a dozen places in summer capital and other towns.

Three youth were injured this evening one of them critically when police fired rubber bullets to disperse stone pelting mobs in north Kashmir Baramulla town.

The injured youth have been evacuated to hospital for treatment.

Reports from the other major towns said the strike was total with tight security arrangements in place to maintain law and order.

Tuesday's strike had been called by the hard-line separatist, All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) group headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani to protest against the killing of two youth in the Safakadal locality of the old city on Sunday.