JAMMU: An indefinite curfew continued for the second day Saturday in communal tension-ridden Kishtwar town of Jammu region, as the district magistrate and police chief were removed in a nocturnal reshuffle by the Jammu and Kashmir government.
Two people have been killed and over 24 others injured in communal clashes in Kishtwar town since Friday, around 220 km from here, as unruly mobs fired at each other using 12 bore guns. (read more)
The Army was called out to stage a flag march and restore order.
Fresh violence has been reported from Padder village in the district.
More than 80 shops, a petrol pump, an oil tanker, some vehicles of the state police and the fire services department, in addition to government properties, were torched by mobs on Friday.
In the late-night reshuffle, Basheer Ahmad Khan has been posted as the district magistrate, and Sanjay Kotwal as the superintendent of police of Kishtwar.
Ashok Prasad, state director general of police (DGP), Suresh Kumar, commissioner (home) and PL Gupta, additional DGP (coordination) are camping in Kishtwar to supervise the restoration of law and order.
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and some other political parties have announced a shutdown in Jammu Saturday in protest against the clashes.
Hardline Kashmiri separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani has also announced a Valley-wide shutdown to protest the Kishtwar clashes.
State Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand met prominent citizens in Jammu city Friday, appealing for calm.
The Jammu and Kashmir government has ordered a magisterial probe into the clashes. District Commissioner, Jammu, Shant Manu has been entrusted the probe, to be completed in three weeks.
(IANS)
