Kashmir fears more violence as separatists call for protests after Friday prayers

Kashmir braced for more clashes on Friday morning as the Valley’s joint separatist leadership called for after-prayer protests, a day after a civilian driver was killed and three soldiers injured in an ambush in Shopian district.

Kashmir braced for more clashes on Friday morning as the Valley’s joint separatist leadership called for after-prayer protests, a day after a civilian driver was killed and three soldiers injured in an ambush in Shopian district.

Kashmir has seen a spate of bank lootings, militant attacks and mounting civilian-police clashes over the past few months.(Waseem Andrabi / Hindustan Times)

“Strongly condemning the excessive force and crackdown against civilian population in south Kashmir’s Shopian district, Joint resistance leaders, Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik urged people to protest against state terrorism after Friday congregational prayers on May 5,” a press statement said.

Kashmir has seen a spate of bank lootings, militant attacks and mounting civilian-police clashes over the past few months following viral videos of alleged human rights violations and roughing up of paramilitary personnel.

“Leadership, while referring to state authorities, said that they have waged a war against civilians, & in their appeal to youth, asked to maintain discipline & order during resistance against state sponsored terrorism. Resistance leadership while slamming Indian agencies and policy makers, urged youth to remain cautious and show wisdom,” the separatists’ statement added.

The attack had come at night as soldiers were returning in a private vehicle after a massive day-long search operation in the district involving over 20 villages in Shopian district.

The massive day-long cordon and search operation in south Kashmir’s Shopian district initiated after intelligence inputs of presence of militants made no contact with any militant.

The driver of the vehicle, Nazir Ahmed Sheikh, was killed when the militants opened fire in Imamsahib area of Shopian. Police control room, Shopian, told HT on Friday morning that the militants managed to escape after attacking.