Kashmir shuts to protest civilian killings in Pulwama

Srinagar, Feb 15: A complete shutdown was observed on Monday against the civilian killings in Kakapora town of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
Two students including a girl were killed and 15 other civilians injured when police and army allegedly used bullets and tear gas shells on protesters after the culmination of an encounter in Kakapora area of Pulwama district Sunday afternoon. These civilians were later identified as Shaista Hamid of Lelhar and Danish Farooq of Ratnipora Pulwama.
The joint shutdown call was given by the separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Muhammad Yasin Malik and Shabir Ahmed Shah, while it was supported by almost all the other separatist organizations.
In a bid to thwart possible protests, authorities had imposed restrictions on movement of people in areas under five police stations in old Srinagar city and also in Maisuma area. The authorities had also imposed restrictions in Kakapora and Samboora areas of Pulwama district. Strict restrictions on the movement of people and vehicles were put in place in Nowhatta, Khanyar, SafaKadal,Maisuma, Rainawari and Maharajgunj. Markets and other business establishments remained closed and public transport did not ply in Srinagar and other major towns of the Valley. Attendance in banks, post offices and government offices was badly affected while most of the educational coaching institutions remained closed.
The situation in Srinagar city remained peaceful, however, at Nowgam scores of youth protested over these killings. A police armoured vehicle turned turtle after it was attacked by protesters with stones. Large contingent of police and Para-military troopers had been deployed to restrict people from taking to streets. A police official told  that groups of protesting youth resorted to stone-pelting prompting police to use tear-smoke shells to disperse them. “Stone-pelting incidents were also reported from Hamray Pattan, Kakapora, Newa Pulwama, Batapora Khanabal Anantnag, Narbal and Barosa Ganderbal.” Eyewitnesses told  that angry protesters attacked CRPF camp with stones in Newa Pulwama. The Forces personnel resorted to tear-gas shelling to keep protesters at bay. Amid pro-freedom slogans the clashes continued for hours in the area.
The police and paramilitary forces were deployed in strength especially in sensitive areas like Sopore, Pattan townships to maintain law and order, the officials said. South Kashmir’s Pulwama district especially Kakapora area witnessed a tense situation. Heavy deployment was seen on roads and streets to prevent people from assembling at one place.
Reports said that at least 10 persons including four policemen were injured in Kakapora that witnessed massive clashes throughout the day on Monday. In retaliation to heavy stone-pelting police used tear-smoke shells. Eyewitnesses said that some of the injured were shifted to Srinagar hospital for treatment. Two protesters were injured in Samboora after police used tear smoke shells to disperse them.
Shutdown was also observed in Shopian, Anantnag, Pampore, Tral, Awantipora, Pulwama, Budgam, Ganderbal, Bandipora, Kupwara, Handwara, Baramulla and Sopore town.
Authorities had placed top separatist leaders including Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Engineer Hilal Ahmad War, Yasin Malik under house detention.