Two killed and over 70 wounded in fresh clashes in Kashmir

Srinagar, June 25 (UNI) Two youths were killed and over 70 others were wounded in fresh clashes between security forces and demonstrators at different places in the Kashmir valley.

One person was killed when security forces opened fire and burst teargas shells at Magam in the north Kashmir today.

In another firing by police a 19-year-old youth was kllled in the old city this evening.

Twenty others were injured in police lathicharge and teargas.

With this a total of three persons were killed during in the firing on demonstrators since yesterday.

Traffic on the Srinagar-Airport road was disrupted for some time when a group of youths took to streets at Solina and pelted stones on passing vehicles.

However, police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel immediately swung into action and chased away the demonstrators, protesting against the transfer of 800 kanals of forest land to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) by the government.

Major areas in the uptown, which remained almost normal yesteday, witnessesd a massive demonstration today.

Police fired teargas shells to disperse the demonstrators who were pelting stones at Rambagh after repeated lathicharge had no effect on them.

Reports of clashes between police, CRPF and demonstrators were also received from Natipora, Chanapora and Nowgam.

Maisuma and other civil lines areas, which witnessed massive demonstration yesterday, were largely peaceful with no report of any untoward incident.

A UNI correspondent who visited a number of Shahr-e-Khas areas, including Nawa Bazar, Jamalata, Nallahmar, Zanpa Kadal, Idgah and Rajouri Kadal saw stones on the roads everywhere.

Police fired teargas shells at several places to disperse the demonstrators, who were pelting stones on them.

Security forces in strength were deployed at all vital installation and roads being used by VVIPs in the city since early this morning.

A report from Baramulla said thousands of students of different schools and colleges today took to the streets in protest against the land transfer to SASB.

Raising slogans against the SASB and state government, they were demanding cancellation of the order.

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