Srinagar: Clashes erupted in Anantnag district and in Baramulla’s Sopore town soon after mandatory congregational Friday prayers ended as Kashmir Valley is observing complete shutdown today against killing of a college going student.
Eye witnesses said that people came out on roads in Lal Chowk and Reshibazar area of Anantnag raising pro-freedom slogans.
“But huge deployment of armed forces was made in the area who blocked the march by firing tear gas canisters,” a local said.
In Sopore, famous as apple town, people took out a pro-freedom march from central Jamia Masjid.
However, the armed forces did not allow the march to proceed beyond main chowk resulting in clashes.
“Youth resorted to stone pelting as police and CRPF personnel fired tear gas canisters,” a student said.
Adil Farooq Magray, a Ist year student at government run Degree College Shopian, was shot dead by Indian armed forces on last Tuesday evening when people helped save a militant from the armed forces in Ganowpora area of Shopian district.
The Indian army, JKP’s SOG and para-military CRPF had laid a siege around the village and started search operations which were resisted by the local populace.
They opened fire injuring ten of whom Adil lost battle of life while being rushed to district hospital Shopian.
The joint resistance leadership called for a shutdown today and asked people to hold protests.
Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik had appealed people of Shopian and adjoining areas to march towards the house of slain Adil to pay him tributes.
While Geelani and Mirwaiz remain under house arrest, Malik had left his home last night to evade arrest.
However, a JKLF statement today informed that he was arrested out Dast-i-geer sahib Sarai Bala in Srinagar by police. Malik tried to take out protest march.
Fearing disruption of services, the Northern Railways closed Srinagar-Banihal rail services.
The government last evening ordered the closure of all educational institutions while as the varsities deferred examinations scheduled for today.
Protests had erupted in Hajin and Pulwama where people clashed with forces while as Indian army men opened aerial firing in Chewa Kalan village when their patrol came under stone pelting attack.
In summer capital, the PDP-BJP coalition government imposed severe restrictions in many parts while as the faithful were not allowed to call for prayers in historic Jamia Masjid at Nowhatta.
