Srinagar: A mob on Friday attacked a police station in Anantnag district resulting in police firing rubber bullets leaving one person dead and another injured even as curfew remained clamped in eight major towns in the Kashmir Valley as a precautionary measure.
"A mob attacked Bijbehara police station today. The police used teargas shells and resorted to cane-charge to disperse the mob but it did not relent and tried to set the police station and the office of Sub Divisional Police Officer on fire by throwing petrol bombs," police said.
It said the personnel inside the police station fired rubber bullets in self-defence and as a result two persons sustained injuries, one of whom died. Some policemen were also injured, it said. Incidents of stone-pelting were also been reported in Baramulla and Srinagar, it said.
Curfew remained in force in eight major towns in the Kashmir Valley as a precautionary measure after one person injured in firing succumbed to his woulnds in Sopore this morning.
"Curfew is in force in Sopore, Baramulla, Pattan, Anantnag, Qaimoh, Kulgam, Kupwara and Handwara as a precautionary measure", police said, adding that the step was taken in view of apprehensions of breach of peace in these towns. It said there was no curfew or restrictions in force in Srinagar, Budgam, Ganderbal, Pulwama, Shopian and Bandipora districts.
Police said CRPF troops of 177 battalion were attacked by the stone-pelting mob when they were withdrawing after performing their duties at Chinkipora, Sopore, 55 kms from here, last evening. The troops opened fire to quell the mob, leaving three persons injured. A man identified as Mudassir Nazar succumbed to his wounds in a hospital this morning, it said.
The mob also threw a broken bottle at CRPF Assistant Commandant, S K Das, leaving him injured, it said. Meanwhile, Chairman of the hardline faction of Hurriyat Conference Syed Ali Shah Geelani was placed under house arrest this morning as a preventive measure, police said.
Geelani, who is spearheading the ongoing agitation in the Valley, was put under house arrest as he was planning to lead a prayer in Hyderpora. Shops and business markets, banks, educational institutions and private offices reopened and all modes of transport were back on the roads barring the curfew-bound areas.
The Valley was rocked by violence following the death of a teenager on June 11 after allegedly being hit by a teargas shell at Gani Stadium near Rajouri Kadal. After that street protests broke out in the Valley which has claimed 62 lives so far. PTI
