A magistrate, a senior superintendent of police and three other police officers were among 47 people injured on Friday as stone-pelting incidents spilled over from Kashmir to Jammu region where violence took place in Doda district.
Meanwhile, the authorities extended curfew to many areas of Kashmir and snapped mobile telephony as part of a bid to foil a march called by separatists.
In the valley, more than three dozen incidents of stone pelting were reported from different districts including Anantnag, Pulwama, Kulgam, Shopian, Baramulla, Sopore, Kupwara and Bandipora, a police spokesman said.
35 people were injured in these incidents and the ensuing clashes after Friday prayers.
The violence spread from Kashmir to Jammu region with a mob turning violent after Friday prayers in Doda where some Muslim groups had called for a bandh and a protest march in ‘solidarity’ with the people of Kashmir.
“After Friday prayers, a mob turned violent and attacked the police party that was deployed in the town to maintain law and order and started pelting stones on them,” Deputy Inspector General of Police (Doda Range) Nisar Ahmed said, adding 12 people were injured in these.
“A duty magistrate who was there on the duty with the police was hit on head with the stones,” he added.
In the stone-pelting, SSP Doda Zahid Naeem, Station House Officer Uday Wazir, Sub-Inspector Kulbushan and two other police personnel were also injured.
To disperse the mobs, police used cane charge and lobbed teargas shells, leaving six protesters injured.
In Kashmir, one protester was hit by tear gas shell in the head during clashes in Tangmarg area of Baramulla district. He was admitted to a hospital in Srinagar and his condition is stated to be critical, a police official said.
At least 12 people were taken to Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences Soura for treatment after they were allegedly thrashed by security forces during clashes in Ganderbal area of central Kashmir, the official said, adding all the injured were discharged after first aid.
“After Friday prayers, miscreants assembled at various places and tried to disrupt the vehicular movement. At most of the places the miscreants started pelting stones on moving vehicles, police and security force deployments,” the police spokesman said.
Police and security forces exercised utmost restraint despite severe provocations at a number of places, the spokesman said, adding many police and security force men were injured during these clashes.
At Arhama, Ganderbal, miscreants assembled on road and pelted stones on security forces. While tackling the situation six persons were injured, he said.
The spokesman said at Dooru, Tangmarg, about 300-400 miscreants assembled on road and pelted stones on police and security forces. Two persons were injured, one of whom was shifted to Srinagar, he added.
“At Uttrsoo, Anantnag, miscreants pelted stones on police and security forces. While dispersing the mob, four persons suffered minor injuries and were discharged after first aid from the hospital,” the spokesman said.
Meanwhile, curfew was extended to many parts of Kashmir on Friday and severe restrictions were imposed in rest of Valley to thwart the march to Eidgah called by the separatists.
Curfew was in place in entire Srinagar district, Anantnag town, Shopian town, Baramulla town, Awantipora and Pampore towns of Pulwama district, an official said.
He said curfew was also imposed in Ganderbal town, Budgam, Chadoora, Magam, Kunzer, Tangmarg and Pattan areas of the Valley as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order.
Last Friday saw intense clashes between protestors and security forces at many places in the Valley after the congregational prayers. The clashes left three people dead and several hundred others injured.
The separatists had called on people to assemble at Eidgah in old city for paying tributes to those killed during the ongoing unrest.
Normal life remained affected in the Valley for the 35th consecutive day due to the curbs imposed by the authorities and separatist-sponsored strike against the killing of civilians in the security forces action.
As many as 55 people, including two cops, have died and several thousand others injured in the clashes between protestors and security forces.
Schools, colleges, business establishments, petrol pumps and private offices remained closed while public transport remained off the roads. The attendance in government offices and banks was also thin, the official said.
The mobile telephony services were snapped across telecom operators, except postpaid services of state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, at midnight as a precautionary measure to curb rumour mongering.
Mobile Internet services continued to remain snapped in the entire Valley.
The separatists have extended the shutdown call in Kashmir till August 18 and as part of the protest programme has asked the people to hold ‘referendum’ march at La Chowk on August 13 and 14.
