Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, June 24: Curfew was imposed in Sopore township in North Kashmir district of Baramulla today following killing of a youth in security forces firing in the town yesterday while life remained affected in rest of the Valley in response to a strike called by separatists.
A police spokesman said here that curfew was imposed in Sopore town to prevent any law and order problem. The spokesman said that there were no restrictions in any other part of Kashmir. However, normal life in the Valley was disturbed due to a strike call by all the three factions of Hurriyat Conference in protest against the killing.
Shops, business establishments, educational institutions and petrol pumps were shut, while Government offices and banks witnessed thin attendance. Public transport was off the roads, while private cars and auto-rickshaws were plying.
In Sopore, authorities had deployed large contingents of police and para-military CRPF in the town to enforce the curfew. However, despite restrictions, youth took to streets and held protests against the killing. They pelted stones on the police and CRPF. The clashes were witnessed in Chankhan, Hathi Shah, Ashi Peer and Chota Bazaar areas of Sopore.
Irshad Ahmad Shah was killed when security forces opened fire to disperse a group of youth who resorted to pelting stones at the forces, who were leaving Tarzoo area of Sopore after killing a top Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) commander.
A police spokesman said here that the situation remained peaceful throughout the Valley today. “However in a stray stone pelting incident in Muran Chowk Pulwama an 8th class boy Sarwar Husain Dar son of Ashiq Husain resident of Matrigam was hit by a stone and received injury on his head when he was on way to his school”, the spokesman said.
“The boy has suffered depressed skull fracture as per doctor of DH Pulwama. In two other minor incidents some miscreants in Gulshan Chowk Bandipore and Gojwara Srinagar tried to pelt stones on civilian vehicles but were immediately chased away”, the spokesman added.
Meanwhile, Hurriyat (G) Chairman Syed Ali Geelani continues to remain under house arrest besides other leaders of his amalgam including Mohammad Ashraf Sehrai, Ayaz Akbar, Peer Saif-ulah and Altaf Ahmad Shah.
Most of the separatist leaders remained under house arrest including Hurriyat (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Shahid-ul-Islam, HCJK senior leader Shabir Ahmad Shah besides several others.
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