Yasir gets bullets in chest, dies; Ishfaq, with pellets in head, succumbs | 80 more injured as bullets, pellets continue to rain on protesters | Youth hit in head by teargas shell in Bijbehara, critical | Protests in Jammu’s Chenab Valley, Pir Panchal region
Police Monday shot dead a 10th standard student in Batamaloo area of Srinagar while another boy of Tangmarg, Baramulla, succumbed to his injuries, taking the death toll to 60 in the ongoing uprising. On the 38th consecutive day Kashmir continued to reel under strict curfew and over 80 persons were injured, some with pellets, in forces’ action on pro-freedom protesters.
Muhammad Yasir Sheikh (16) son of Abdul Salam Sheikh of SD Colony Batamaloo was killed when police opened fire on him near Bus Stand Batamaloo.
Residents and family said that Yasir was killed in target fire by police as there was no protest in the area. They said that Yasir died on the spot. Two other youth sustained injuries in police firing.
Soon after the killing, hundreds of people took to streets and held strong protest demonstrations against the killing. The protests were going on when this report was being filed. Hundreds of people attended his first funeral at SMHS hospital.
“We are investigating the incident to look into the causes of the situation that resulted in the death of the boy,” police said.
Ishfaq Ahmad Bhat (18), who suffered critical pellet injuries at Badipora Tangmarg last Friday, succumbed in Intensive Care Unit of SKIMS here.
Ishfaq, son of a daily wager Abdul Ahad, was grievously injured after being hit on head by pellets which has perforated into his skull, causing severe damage to his brain, doctors said.
Reports said that a large number of people staged a pro-freedom protest at Badipora Tangmarg shortly after the news about the death spread in the area. Thousands of people attended his funeral procession and clashes were going when this report was being filed.
About 80 people received injuries in police action on Monday and around two dozen have received pellets. Three persons have received bullet injuries.
Today’s killings took the death toll to 60 in the ongoing unrest in Kashmir, with 58 of them civilians killed in police, para-military CRPF and Army firing since July 9. As many as 7000 civilians have been injured in action by government forces on pro-freedom protestors during the period with hundreds of them losing eyesight and others maimed for life due to firearm injuries. Kashmir has been witnessing widespread pro-freedom protests since the July 8 killing of popular militant commander Burhan Wani by security forces.
Strict curfew remained in force in entire Srinagar district and Anantnag (Islamabad), Ganderbal town, Awantipora, Tral, Pampore, Baramulla town, Sopore town, Bandipora town, Kaloosa, Papchan Kupwara, Handwara, Shopian, and Budgam district.
The resistance leadership – Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik – continue to remain under police detention. They had asked people to observe August 15 as “black day” by hoisting black flags.
CENTRAL KASHMIR:
In the curfew bound Srinagar district, protests erupted at five places, however they were dispersed by police and paramilitary forces. To thwart any protest demonstrations, the authorities deployed huge number of security personnel across the city and people were not allowed to come out of their houses.
In most parts of city, essentials were not available due to strict curfew.
Over a dozen protestors were injured, two of them critically, when paramilitary personnel resorted to pellet firing in Aripanthan Beerwah village of Central Kashmir’s Budgam district.
Residents alleged that a police party smashed windows of residential houses at Aripanthan village. They said that large contingent of CRPF personnel arrived on spot while the youth pelted stones on them. The CRPF personnel fired pellets and tear-smoke shells to disperse the protesters. At least 12 persons were injured in CRPF action. Two protesters Adil Ahmed and Ghulam Muhammad Bhat received pellets in the face and were shifted to SMHS hospital, reports said.
In Ganderbal district, peaceful protests were held at five places. Police bust tear smoke shells to disperse the youth, however none was injured.
