Mob attempts to storm army camp in Kashmir

A mob tried to storm an army camp on Sunday in Bandipora district, shattering the day-long fragile peace in Kashmir, where a curfew has been imposed, even as the Centre rushed about 2,000 additional CRPF personnel to shore up security in the Valley, where violence since July 9 has claimed 39 lives.

Protesters attacked the army camp at Ajas in Bandipora district, forcing the security forces to open fire. Three persons were injured in the incident, police said.

Earlier, Usman Abdul Majid, member of Legislative Assembly from Bandipora, had claimed that one person was killed and three others were injured in the clash.

Curfew was in force for the third consecutive day while normal life remained paralysed in the wake of deadly clashes that have rocked the Valley following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani nine days ago, leaving 39 dead and over 3,160 injured.

Two persons were also injured in action by security forces when a mob threw stones in Eidgah area of the city. The fresh violence came even as the situation was mostly peaceful during the day.

After restricting mobile telephone services, authorities have now snapped landline connections to check violent protests. Local newspapers failed to hit the stands for the second consecutive day after the government’s alleged “clampdown” on the media. No local paper was available as newspaper owners decided not to publish after authorities on Saturday allegedly raided some media houses and seized their printed copies.

The Editors Guild of India condemned the Jammu and Kashmir government for “unwarranted muzzling” of media in the state and termed as “unfortunate” the attempts “to shoot the messenger”. “It is extremely unfortunate that the state government, under fire for its poor management of the law and order situation in the Valley, has sought to shoot the messenger,” a statement from the Editors Guild said.

It said the police were sent into the offices of the local media in Kashmir in the wee hours today and copies of the newspapers that had just been printed seized and printing presses shut down.

“Reports suggest that the journalists and other staff working in Greater Kashmir and Rising Kashmir were detained, harassed and their mobiles (phones) taken away by the raiding police parties,” it said.

“We are also aghast to note that the media censorship will continue for a minimum of three days if not more,” it added.

Police and paramilitary personnel were deployed in strength across the Valley for strict implementation of the prohibitory orders, the official said.

A police officer said: “All 10 districts of Kashmir Valley continue to remain under curfew today as a precautionary measure for maintaining law and order.”

He said the decision to continue the curfew was taken to maintain law and order as one person was killed in fresh violence in Kupwara district on Saturday.

Official said that a total of 20 fresh companies (100 personnel in each) are being rushed to the Valley which will be in addition to 2,800 Central Reserve Police Force personnel which were sent to assist the state police last week.

“Some of the fresh units will exclusively render the task of road opening parties in order to secure the movement of security forces convoys,” a senior official said.

About 60 battalions are already stationed in the state as part of counter insurgency grid.