50 injured in protests over Kashmir land row

Over 50 people, including 16 police personnel, have been injured in fresh clashes in Kashmir against allotment of forest land to the Amarnath shrine board.

ver 50 people, including 16 police personnel, were injured in fresh clashes as protests against diversion of forest land to the Amarnath shrine board continued for the fifth day on Friday in the Kashmir Valley.

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Twenty-one people, including 15 policemen, were injured in incidents of stone pelting in Sopore, Shopian and some parts of the old Srinagar, a police spokesman said.

However, sources said nearly 35 people were injured in clashes with police in various parts of the valley, mostly in Srinagar.

While 12 people have been admitted for treatment at the SMHS hospital in Srinagar, another 24 were discharged from various hospitals after being administered first aid, sources said.

The spokesman said there was no firing incident in the valley, although minor force was used to disperse violent mobs when they indulged in damaging public as well as private property.

Police fired warning shots in Bemina and Noorbagh localities of the city after they failed to control the agitators with teargas shells and batons.

Violent clashes were also witnessed at Zainakadal, Batamaloo, Sonawar, Nowshera, Safakadal, Rainawari and Dalgate areas of the city, the sources said.

Police also used tear smoke shells and batons to chase away stone-pelting mobs at Sopore in Baramulla district and Tral and Pulwama townships of south Kashmir. Two persons were injured at Sopore, officials said.