Police fire teargas to disperse demonstrators in north Kashmir

Baramulla, June 29 (UNI) Police today fired teargas shells and resorted to baton charge to disperse demonstrators at Kupwara in north Kashmir, where a spontaneous complete shut down in protest against the death of a woman, allegedly in security forces firing, crippled life.

Official sources said hundreds of people, mostly women and children, took to streets today demanding action against security forces, who alleged resorted to indiscriminate firing resulting in the death of Fahmeeda.

As the processionists reached the main chowk, police stopped them. However, the demonstrators pelted stones on police, demanding that they should be allowed to march through different streets in the town to register their protest.

Police later fired teargas shells after baton charge had no effect on them.

Shops and business establishments were closed and traffic was off the road in the town and adjacent areas. Work in government offices and commercial establishments was affected as employees stayed away from work. Educational institutions also remained closed.

The residents alleged that security force, after killing three fidayeen in a van, resorted to indiscriminate firing in the area resulting in the death of Fahmeeda.

There was no justification for killing Fahmeeda when all the three militants had died, they said.

Yesterday Jammu and Kashmir police claimed to have foiled a major fidayeen (suicide) attack when they gunned down three militants before they could storm the headquarter of 28 Infantry Division in the frontier district of Kupwara in north Kashmir this afternoon.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Kupwara said, the slain militants had planned to storm the headquarters of 28 infantry Division at Shalkote in the frontier district of Kupwara.

However, a police party killed them a few kilometers away from the district headquarter when they were travelling in a blue coloured Maruti Van JKO3-5941.

Police claimed that the woman was killed in the exchange of fire.

UNI