Over two dozen injured in Bhaderwah violence; curfew imposed

Bhaderwah, Jul 2 (UNI) Over two dozen people were injured in firing and stone pelting today as the administration clamped curfew on this hilly town of Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir.

More than two dozen people were injured in the violence here when the people, agitating against the government's decision of revoking the order of land transfered to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB), clashed with the members of the majority community near a mosque in the town, sources said.

The clash reportedly began after someone pelted the local mosque with stones. ''Locals of both the communities came across and started pelting stones on each other,'' an eyewitness said.

Finding the situation going out of control, police resorted to firing to disperse the mob.

One CRPF jawan, identified as S K Sahu, and one Manjit Singh received bullet injuries in the incident, the sources said.

Meanwhile, a crude home-made grenade exploded when the security forces were quelling clashing mob here. Three people, identified as Arvind Kumar, Pammi Kumar and Satish Chander, were reportedly injured in the blast, a source in the civil hospital said.

Several injured in the violence, who had escaped after police intervened and resorted to firing, were coming to the hospital for treatment, the source added.

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