Violent protests rock Kashmir

Srinagar, May 16 (ANI): At least nine persons were injured here after police fired teargas shells to disperse stone-pelting protesters demanding release of jailed leaders during the Parliament elections.

Syed Ali Shah Geelani, chairman of hardline faction of separatist All Parties Hurriyat (freedom) Conference (APHC) has been calling for protests.

"We are protesting against the detention of our political prisoners. Geelani has pressurised the Indian Government to release our separatist leaders," said Mohammad Shafi, general secretary of the Democratic Political Movement.

The protesters pelted stones on the police and paramilitary forces who baton-charged and lobbed teargas shells to bring the situation under control.

Geelani remained under house arrest even as other separatist leaders were released from their confinement on Thursday.

APHC chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front chief Muhammad Yaseen Malik, and others have also been released from house arrest.

The release of the leaders came after elections ended Wednesday. They were put under house arrest to prevent them from running poll boycott campaign. (ANI)