Srinagar: Two civilians died and 40 people, including 30 policemen, got injured in widespread clashes between protesters and security forces in the Kashmir Valley on Saturday as indefinite curfew was imposed on major towns including Srinagar.
As the casuality in the violence since Friday rose to six, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah again issued an appeal to the people to remain vigilant against the sinister designs of "vested interests" against peace.
Chairing a high-level meeting here, he also announced formation of three ministerial teams for Baramulla, Anantnag and Pulwama districts which will work with the citizen groups for speedy restoration of peace in those areas.
The first casuality of the day took place at Naidkhai in Sumbal area when hundreds of people gathered outside a Jammu and Kashmir Armed Police's battalion headquarters and tried to ransack it and set it on fire besides snatching the weapons of the personnel.
Repeated requests followed by canecharging, teargas and firing in area proved futile as the crowd turned hostile and injured Superintendent of Police (Bandipore) Sheikh Junaid and 10 others.
Police were compelled to open fire in which one person Muddasir Ahmed Lone received bullet injuries and later succumbed to his wounds in hospital. The second death took place in Baramulla area where a youth Javed Ahmed was hit by a rubber bullet. He was shifted to SKIMS where he died late this evening.
Barring Handwara, Ganderbal and Budgam, rest of the valley remained under curfew. Protestors clashed with police at various places in the Valley and burnt the Special Operations Camp in Pattan in North Kashmir besides ransacking the railway station at Amargarh in Sopore. The protestors also burnt a fire tender which had come to douse the flames.
Police and para-military forces staged a march in the entire Srinagar city and requested people to remain indoors and not to defy the curfew. Five persons were injured when security forces fired at protestors who attacked a CRPF patrol which was enforcing curfew in Kreeri in Pattan, police said.
The security forces made several attempts to disperse the crowd but it turned more violent and tried to snatch the rifles of the CRPF jawans, they said, adding security forces then opened fire to quell the mob.
Violence was also reported from Kakpora in Pulwama district of South Kashmir where a Deputy Superintendent of Police was injured besides another six police personnel.
In the past five weeks, 22 persons have been killed and scores wounded in bloody clashes between forces and protestors. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had recently ordered a probe into 17 killings by appointing a Commission of Inquiry headed by a retired justice.
(With inputs from Agencies)
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