Srinagar: Muslims across Kashmir are celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr on Monday along with crores of Muslims in Asia.
Eid-ul-Fitr, a revered festival of Muslims, marks end of holy Ramzan – a 29/30 long month in Islamic calendar when Muslims observe fast from dawn to dusk.
Big congregations of special prayers were held across Kashmir where a resolution passed by the joint resistance leadership was read.
Soon after the prayers conlcuded in Pallahan town of Baramulla district, people took out a pro-freedom march, however, they were intercepted by the Indian armed forces on way to Srinagar-Muzaffarabad highway.
“The men in uniform resorted to intense tear gas shelling,” alocal resident to the FreePressKashmir over phone.
“People have put up a strong resistance and clashes are going on near branch of J&K Bank,” he said. “Many civilians were injured in the forces action.”
In nearby Sopore town of the district, at least fifteen protesters were injured in clashes with the armed forces.
The muslims took out a march amid slogans seeking “freedom” and in “praise of Pakistan”.
“The clashes erupted after armed forces intercepted the march and resorted to teargas shelling and pellet firing,” he said. “The march was taken towards main chowk from Eidgah.”
Muslims listen to special sermon on Eid-ul-Fitr in Palhallan town of Baramulla district, which lies in north of Srinagar – the summer capital of J&K, on June 26, 2017. (FPK Photo)
The protesters reacted by pelting stones on the forces deployed in the area.
Of the fifteen injured, at least ten civilians sustained pellet injuries.
This year, the Eid celebrations in this retive region are subdued.
Hurriyat patriarch Syed Ali Geelani asked people to celebrate Eid with austerity.
The biggest congregation of the faithful was witnessed in Eidgah Srinagar.
In the resolution issued by Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik, people were asked to remain steadfast while the resistance leadership castigated government of India over civilian killings in Kashmir.
Slamming the governments in J&K and Delhi, the resistance leadership alleged that the raids carried out by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) were ained at defaming “the freedom movement and crippling the economy of J&K”.
