Srinagar: Shutdown is being observed across the Valley Monday, a day after six militants and an army man were killed in a gunfight and ensuing clashes saw one civilian being killed while several others sustaining bullet and pellet injuries.
According to reports, armed forces personnel have been deployed, including Jammu and Kashmir police and paramilitary forces, at several places across Kashmir including the capital city Srinagar in anticipation of clashes and protests.
Authorities have also imposed restrictions in some towns in southern Kashmir and in the old parts of the Srinagar city. Shops and businesses are closed while public transport is mostly off the roads.
The development comes after the Joint Resistance Leadership had called for complete shutdown today against the recent killings.
The call was given to “strongly protest and denounce the killing of 17 Kashmiris by Indian forces’ brutal action in the last 3 days.”
Earlier, a 17-year-old boy was killed and twenty others suffered injuries during clashes in armed forces’ action in parts of Shopian and Kulgam districts of south Kashmir.
Reports said that following the killing of six militants in a gunfight at Batagund, civilians took to streets near the gunfight site and its adjoining areas and pelted stones on the forces. Similar clashes were received from many other parts of Kulgam and Shopian.
The police and paramilitary forces used tear smoke shells, pellets, and live ammunition to disperse the protests. In the incident, at least four civilians suffered bullet wounds and sixteen others hit by pellets and tear smoke shells.
All the injured were taken to nearby by respective hospitals. However, Nouman Ashraf Bhat (17) of Balsoo, Kulgam were referred to SKIMS Soura, however, he died on the way.
Moreover, three more persons were referred to Srinagar hospital for specialized treatment.
Earlier, six militants were killed in a gunfight with the armed forces in Kapran area of south Kashmir’s Shopian district on Sunday.
On Saturday, Joint Resistance had called for a candlelight vigil and torch processions on Sunday after Magrib (evening) prayers against the “ongoing killing spree in Kashmir.”
“The gruesome killing of civilians Ishfaq Ahmad, a carpenter by profession who was shot dead on spot on mere suspicion of passing by a bunker, and young Muskan Jan pumped with bullets in her abdomen during a protest, wrings at our hearts and deeply grieves the nation. It is extremely sad that GoI has no compunction in allowing such inhumanity to continue by giving unbridled powers to its forces to kill innocent people are day in and out,” they had said in a statement.
