J-K unrest: PM Modi appeals for peace, says no innocent will be harmed

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who chaired a high-level meeting today to review the situation in Kashmir, presently rocked by violent protests in wake of the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani, appealed to people of the valley to maintain peace and assured them that no innocent would be harmed.

Emerging from the meeting, Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Jitendra Singh told the media that Prime Minister Modi has extended every possible assistance and cooperation to the state government in dealing with the present situation.

"The Prime Minister has made an appeal for maintaining peace and calm in the valley. He has hoped that the situation would come back to normal very soon," he added.

Singh said the Prime Minister has also expressed hope that none of the innocent people would suffer from inconvenience or harm in this hour of crisis.

The Minister of State in the PMO also said that the Prime Minister expressed his satisfaction over the Amarnath Yatra, as it was proceeding as expected.

Singh further informed the media that the Prime Minister had expressed his desire to convene an urgent meeting to discuss the Kashmir issue soon after his arrival from four-nation Africa tour.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar were among those present in the meeting held at the Prime Minister's official 7, Race Course Road (RCR) residence here.

The meeting took place a day after Pakistan Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry summoned Indian High Commissioner Gautam Bambawale and conveyed Islamabad's serious concerns over the recent killing of Wani who they termed a "Kashmiri leader".

Meanwhile, the militants today attacked a police party at Warpora area of Sopore town in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir.

However, there was no immediate report of any injuries.

The entire area has been cordoned off and a hunt operation has been launched to trace the militants.

The attack on the police party comes at a time when the valley is boiling over protest against Wani's killing.

The death toll in the clashes between the protesters and the security forces in Kashmir has reached 30, as normal life remained paralysed in the valley due to curfew-like restrictions and separatists-sponsored strike in wake of Wani's killing in an encounter on July 8.