Kupwara strike continues for second day

Baramulla, June 30 (UNI) Life remained crippled in the frontier district of Kupwara due to complete shut down in protest against the death of four persons, including a woman in alleged fake encounter.

However, police claimed three of the slain persons were fidayeen who were planning to storm an Army establishment at Kupwara.

Shops and business establishments remained 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, on a three-day strike call given by various organisations, including Kupwara Bar Association (KBA).

The residents alleged that security force, after killing three innocent person in a van, resorted to indiscriminate firing in the area, resulting in the death of Fahmeeda, an eyewitness to fake encounter.

The KBA alleged that three persons killed by the security forces were innocent. The eyewitness Fahmeeda was also killed by the security forces, they said and alleged it was a ''stage managed'' show.

Yesterday, police had to fire in air and use teargass to disperse the mob who were pelting stone.

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 in the afternoon of June 28.

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