Two more killed as curfew clamped in Valley

In the unabated violence two more persons were killed and three others wounded in security force's firing in Kashmir on Saturday evening mounting the toll since June 11 to 57.

Even though the authorities imposed curfew in capital Srinagar and other towns as a precautionary measure to check further violence, anti-India slogans shouting mobs defied curfew restrictions and staged protests at several places in the Valley on Saturday.

A senior police officer said paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force troopers opened fire at a stone pelting mob in south Kashmir's Anantnag town on Saturday evening as the security forces were withdrawing after enforcing curfew during the day.

Four persons were injured in the firing, one of whom identified as Ishrat Ahmad Lattoo, 30, an employee of the local food and supplies department later succumbed to his injuries in the hospital, the officer said.

He said the other injured persons were evacuated to Srinagar for specialised treatment and condition of one of them was stated to be critical.

In another firing incident at Narbal crossing, a youth identified as Omar Dar, a local vegetable vendor, was killed when CRPF troops opened fire at a stone pelting mob.

Police said Dar was taken to the nearby Jhelum Valley Medical College hospital where he succumbed to the injuries.

Earlier on Sarturday morning authorities imposed curfew in summer capital Srinagar and other towns as a precautionary measures in the wake of Friday's killing of four civilians in CRPF firing in north Kashmir's Baramulla and Kupwara districts.

Loud speaker fitted police jeeps made rounds of various localities of the capital city on Saturday morning announcing imposition of curfew and warning residents to stay indoors.

Thousands of police and paramilitary CRPF troopers were deployed to enforce curfew in capital city and other towns on Saturday.

Mobs, however, defied curfew restrictions in capital city and other towns to stage protests. Security forces used tear gas and baton charges to disperse the protestors.

In the Singhpora village on the Srinagar Muzaffarabad road, security forces opened fire wounding a civilian who was evacuated to hospital for treatment.

In Seloo Sopore town, security forces fired rubber bullets and resorted to repeated teargassing and baton charges to disperse stone pelting mobs on Saturday afternoon.

Four persons including two with rubber bullet injuries were shifted to hospital for treatment.

Shouting pro-freedom and anti-India slogans mobs clashed with police in the premises of the historic Hazratbal Shrine at Hazratbal on Saturday afternoon triggering high tension in the area.

The separatists had called for a protest shutdown on Saturday against Friday's killing of four civilians in security force firing.