One killed as Indian security forces open fire to quell mob in Sopor
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
Srinagar, June 28, IRNA -- One person was today killed when Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troops opened fire to quell a mob pelting stones on its battalion headquarters in Sopore in North Kashmir.
The incident took place this afternoon when locals protesting the death of a youth, Bilal Ahmed Wani, turned violent outside the 92 Battalion headquarter of CRPF in Sopore, 55 kms from here, official sources said.
After several rounds of tear gas, the paramilitary forces opened fire in which one person was killed, they said.
Security forces had this morning fired warning shots and lobbed tear gas shells at protestors carrying the body of a youth, who was killed in firing allegedly by CRPF personnel, defied curfew and staged a march in the town.
Raising anti-government and pro-freedom slogans, protestors carrying the body of Wani tried to march towards Srinagar.
When the protestors reached the local police station, security forces fired in the air and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse them, the sources said.
The situation in the town is tense and police and paramilitary forces are patrolling the streets to maintain law and order, the sources said.
In another development, heavily-armed militants indiscriminately fired at a police station in curfew-bound Sopore.
No loss of life was reported in the attack on the police station, 55 kms from here, police said.
Police retaliated following which the militants fled, they said.
In Srinagar, authorities placed under house arrest several Hurriyat leaders including moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq ahead of their proposed march to Sopore to express solidarity with the families of the youth killed in firing.
Besides the Mirwaiz, those placed under house arrest included JKLF chairman Yasin Malik and top executive members of the amalgam Bilal Gani Lone, Maulana Mohammad Abbas Ansari, Aga Syed Hassan Alsafvi Almosvi and advisor to the chairman Shahidul Islam, the sources said.
On June 25, two youths were killed and three others injured allegedly in firing by CRPF after the security personnel were attacked by protesters following an encounter in which two militants were gunned down.
Meanwhile, at least eight persons were today injured when police opened fire at Hukarsar near here to prevent a march by some locals to Sopore town to express solidarity with the families of youth killed in firing.
A large group of people hailing from different areas of the city were marching towards Sopore in response to the call given by separatists. Police tried to stop them at Parimpora but the surging crowd did not relent and marched onwards.
Meanwhile, condemning the killing of youths in police firing in Jammu and Kashmir's Sopore town, the state unit of CPI-M today demanded the government to take strict action against those responsible for the incidents.
"It is imperative that the central and state authorities take firm and visible action against those responsible for such acts. Any delay will only compound the uncertainty further," the party said in a resolution adopted at the concluding two-day session of the state committee here.
The statement came in the wake of a youth who was killed yesterday after CRPF personnel fired rubber bullets on a stone-pelting mob that had defied curfew in Sopore, two days after a similar incident left two civilians dead.
"These killings have justifiably aroused anger throughout the state... There is no excuse for such atrocities. Despite repeated assurances by the central and state governments of zero tolerance towards human rights violations, the fact remains that little has been done to punish those responsible for such heinous crimes," the resolution said.
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