Manmohan Singh holds meet to discuss Kashmir violence

New Delhi, Aug 2 (ANI): The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, chaired a high-level meeting here on Monday, which was attended by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and members of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) to find an administrative and political way out to end the current unrest in the Kashmir Valley.

Omar Abdullah raised issues including the need for additional forces and initiation of 'internal and external' dialogue with people concerned.

All the members of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) including Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, Defence Minister A K Antony and External Affairs Minister S M Krishna attended the meeting.

It was decided in the meeting to help the Jammu and Kashmir Government in all possible ways and meet the need for adequate backup for the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and State police while dealing with the protestors.

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) had met earlier on Sunday to assess the situation in Kashmir Valley.

During the meeting, reports of various intelligence agencies and views of the political parties were discussed.

The CCS, while taking stock of the situation, also discussed Omar Abdullah's proposal for beginning an internal dialogue with all shades of opinion.

Omar Abdullah asked political parties and their leaders to cooperate with the government to bring back peace in the State.

At least eight people were killed on Sunday in separate incidents of violence.

According to police, a loud explosion took place as the protesters set afire to an abandoned police station at Pampore, where some explosive materials besides a cooking gas cylinder were kept.

Four civilians were killed and 25 others injured in the explosion, they said.

In Khrew, protesters attempted to set afire a police post and take away the weapons.

As the crowd refused to calm down, police fired at them leading to the death of a woman.

In other incidents, two persons were killed as police opened fire to disperse mobs that blocked a national highway on the city outskirts.

The situation in Pampore turned ugly when agitators blocked NH-1A at a number of places by erecting barricades from Pantha Chowk to Pampore. (ANI)