Protests rife in Valley after student’s death, 50 injured

A day after the death of a 25-year-old student in north Kashmir’s Baramulla, allegedly in army firing, protests spread fast across Kashmir.

A day after the death of a 25-year-old student in north Kashmir’s Baramulla, allegedly in army firing, protests spread fast across Kashmir.

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On Wednesday, 16 people —including 15 security personnel — were injured despite curfew, which had been imposed on parts of Srinagar city, and three towns. Altogether, 50 people have been injured in the clashes across the valley over the last 24 hours.

In parts of the Srinagar’s old city like Nowhatta and Safa Kadal, locals attempted to break curfew, leading to clashes.

“There was stone pelting at nine places in Srinagar, 15 security personnel were injured in north Kashmir’s Sopore area,” said a police spokesman.

“A protester, Muntazir Ahmad, a resident of Delina, received an injury on the neck. He is out of danger. Muntazir Ahmad had been booked earlier for stone-pelting,” he added.

Later, residents in Srinagar accused the security forces of damage to property.

“Vehicles were damaged and window panes smashed. We had no option but to take over Jamia Majid’s (Srinagar’s main mosque) public address system to ask people to defy curfew,” said a resident of Nowhatta on the condition of anonymity.

“Kashmir’s mountains are contiguous with Pakistan and Afghanistan. We have thousands of ways to continue our resistance in any shape,” warned Azam Inquilabi, who was among the first separatists to pick up arms in 1990s, and now heads Mahaz-e-Azadi, a political party.