Kashmir violence: Toll reaches 19, curfew imposed

Srinagar, July 10: Curfew was imposed in Kashmir Valley on Sunday to maintain the law and order situation after 19 protesters were killed in violent clashes with security forces on Saturday, officials said.

Kashmir Divisional Commissioner Asgar Hussain Samoon told reporters that curfew has been imposed in the entire valley from midnight to maintain law and order. He also appealed to the people to help authorities maintain peace.

The toll in bloody clashes between violent protesters and the security forces reached 11 after another injured succumbed to critical injuries in the hospital on Saturday.

The protesters who died in clashes on Saturday following the killing of top Hizbul commander Burhan Wani include Adil Bashir of Dooru Anantnag, Danish Ayub of Achabal Anantnag, Abdul Hamid Moochi of Arwani Anantnag, Khurshid Ahmad of Harwat Kulgam, Jahangir Ganai of Bijbehara Anantnag, Azad Hussain of Shopian, Aijaz Ahmad Thokru of Siligam Anantnag, Ashraf Dar of Kokernag Anantnag, Showkat Ahmad of Bijbehara Anantnag, Haseeb Ahmad of Khanabal Anantnag and Saqib Mir of Achabal Anantnag.

Additional Director General (CID) S.M. Sahai and Inspector General of Police (Kashmir Zone) Syed Javid Mujtaba Gilani told reporters that the violent mob on Saturday burnt four police stations, two minority police pickets and office of the tehsildar.

Besides, there were two incidents of weapon snatching and torching of several vehicles of the security forces.

The top police officers said three policemen were missing and 96 security personnel have been injured in Saturday's clashes.

The number of civilian protesters injured is said to be at least 100 which include those suffered bullet, tear smoke and pellet injuries.

Violence erupted spontaneously in south Kashmir districts of Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam and later spread to other districts in the valley after security forces killed top Hizbul commander Burhan Wani and two of his associates in Bamdoora (Kokarnag) village of Anantnag district on Friday.

Wani was buried in his native Shariefabad (Tral) village on Saturday where nearly 40,000 people gathered defying curfew restrictions to attend his funeral prayers.

The separatists have called for a valley-wide shutdown till Monday against Wani's killing.

The state cabinet headed by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti would meet in Srinagar on Sunday to deliberate on measures to ensure the law and order situation does not go out of hand and things are brought under control quickly.

IANS