J&K toll touches 38; curfew continues

There seems to be no let-up in violence in Kashmir as clashes, curfew and strike continued for the sixth consecutive day on Thursday with one more youth succumbing to injuries at a hospital.

Public Relations Officer (PRO) at SKIMS said Irfan Ahmad Dar from Kulgam district died at the hospital, where he was admitted on July 11. The family of the slain youth alleged that he was ruthlessly beaten up by security forces during clashes in the area.

Earlier, one more youth succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday night. With this, the toll in the six day violence in Kashmir that is on the boil following the killing of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on Friday reached 38. The slain include a woman and a policeman who was pushed into river Jhelum by a mob at Sangam in Anantnag.

The curfew and shutdown continued across the Kashmir Valley amid reports of clashes and protests against the killings. In fresh clashes, two youths identified as Omar Zargar and Imtiyaz Ahmad sustained critical injuries



at Batargam Kupwara at Narbal in Srinagar, respectively. Imtiyaz was hit by a teargas shell on his head, sources said. With reports of more injuries coming in, the number of injured on Thursday touched 1,600, according to official sources.

Sources said the police arrested six youths during protests in different areas of the Valley.

A police spokesman said the situation in Kashmir remained “under control though some incidents of stone pelting were reported. “A mob set on fire a residential house in Bamdoora, Kokernag,” he said. Sources said that Burhan and his two associates were hiding in the same house when they were cornered by the forces last Friday.

In view of the Friday’s call for protests, the authorities have decided to continue curfew in the Valley to prevent any outbreak of violent protests, a police official said. “Friday is crucial and the forces will ensure no major incident of violence takes place. The curfew would be strict in sensitive areas,” he said.