Two journalists among 5 wounded
SRINAGAR: Police in Kashmir capital Srinagar have used force to disperse demonstrators who were marching towards Shopian town, where five people have been killed by paramilitaries in the past fortnight.
Senior separatist leader, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq had called for a march to the south Kashmir town, where a curfew is in its 14th day today.
Mr Farooq has been placed under house arrest besides many other colleagues of his Hurriyat Conference.
Protestors, more than a thousand in number, gathered outside the Jamia Masjid mosque in downtown city after Friday prayers. They had barely marched a kilometre when the police fired pellet guns and lobbed tear smoke shells to stop them.
The youth in turn pelted the police with stones. At least three youth have been wounded, although it could not be confirmed whether there are any serious injuries.
Two journalists – Tauseef Mustafa, cameramen of the Agence France Presse, and Aijaz Ahmed, working for Press TV – have also been wounded. They were hit by stones.
Earlier in the day, a similar protest, although by a fewer people, was held in the same area which was dispersed by the police.
Meanwhile in a separate incident, shopkeepers in Kudwani area of Anantnag alleged the CRPF personnel went on a rampage in the market.
They said a few stones were pelted from somewhere after which frantic CRPF men went about destroying goods.
