10 protesters killed, 95 police personnel injured
TIA NEWS /
The killing of the top Hizb-ul-Mujahideen commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani by security forces on Friday has triggered wide spread protest in Kashmir valley. Massive anti-India and pro-freedom protests were seen in many parts of Kashmir.
9 people have died while 200 people, including 95 forces personnel, were injured in clashes between forces and protesters in Kashmir, today (Saturday) during hi janazah procession and other places.
At least 95 people, including forces personnel, were injured, said Additional Director general of Police, CID, S.M. Sahai and Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, S.J.M. Geelani at a press conference in Srinagar.
The state administration on Saturday decided to impose restriction across the Valley in view of the shutdown call given by the separatist leaders against the killing of civilians.
pic- Greater Kashmir
Burhan the face of new-age militancy in Kashmir who carried a bounty of Rs 10 lakh on his head, died in a gunfight with forces in Kokernag area of South Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Friday.
As soon as the word about Burhan’s death in the Kokernag gunfight spread, people in Kokernag, Anantnag, Kulgam, Kaimoh, Khudwani, Redwani and Bijbehara instantly took to streets, held pro-freedom demonstrations and clashed with forces. Scores of mosques quickly reverberated with pro-freedom slogans while people used Public Address Systems to raise pro-azadi, pro-Pakistan, pro-Burhan and anti-India slogans, witnesses told Greater Kashmir.
21-year-old Burhan—who had rattled the security establishment over the years with his carefully-shot videos and photographs on social networking sites.
“The gunfight began at around 6.30 pm and lasted for about an hour. A policeman was also injured in it,” the official said, while giving details about the encounter “jointly carried out by cops from Cargo Srinagar, Army and Special Operations Group of J&K Police.”
“We had specific information about presence of militants in the Kokernag area. The special force from Cargo Srinagar, Army’s 19 RR, Special Operation Group (SOG) of police launched searches in WayBemdura village on Friday evening. The militants holed up inside one of the houses fired on the search party, triggering an encounter,” the police official said.
MASSIVE PROTESTS
As soon as the word about Burhan’s death in the Kokernag gunfight spread, people in Kokernag, Anantnag, Kulgam, Kaimoh, Khudwani, Redwani and Bijbehara instantly took to streets, held pro-freedom demonstrations and clashed with forces. Scores of mosques quickly reverberated with pro-freedom slogans while people used Public Address Systems to raise pro-azadi, pro-Pakistan, pro-Burhan and anti-India slogans, witnesses told Greater Kashmir.
Son of a Higher Secondary School principal, Burhan had joined Hizb militant outfit in 2010. His elder brother Khalid Muzaffar was shot dead by the Army last year.
Last month, after an attack in Anantnag town in which two policemen were injured, Burhan released a video warning against establishment of separate Pandit and Sainik colonies in the Valley. He also warned J&K policemen to stop “anti-movement” activities.