15 dead in Kashmir clashes, Rajnath chairs high-level meet over Burhan Wani aftermath
Following the death of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday chaired a high-level meeting to review the law and order situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
Following the death of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday chaired a high-level meeting to review the law and order situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
Read: Valley remains tense after Wani’s funeral, Amarnath Yatra still suspended
Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi , Joint Secretary (Kashmir division) Gyanesh Kumar, Intelligence Bureau (IB) Chief Dineshwar Sharma and senior Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) officials were present at the meeting being held at Rajnath’s residence here.
“Situation in Kashmir valley is under control” PTI quoted Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi as saying.
The meeting comes in the wake of the rising instances of violence in the valley as the death toll in the clashes between security forces and protestors has reached 16, as four more civilians succumbed to injuries.
An 18-year-old youth was critically injured in clashes between protestors and security forces at Newa in Pulwama on Sunday, a police official said.
Irfan Ahmad Malik was rushed to SMHS hospital but succumbed to his injuries, he said.
Four persons who were injured in the violent clashes on Saturday succumbed to injuries during the night, the official said.
Curfew was imposed in the entire valley on Sunday after 11 protesters were killed in violent clashes with security forces on Saturday, triggered by the killing of Burhan Wani, officials said.
The protesters who died in clashes on Saturday following the killing of Wani include Adil Bashir, Danish Ayub, Abdul Hamid Moochi, Jahangir Ganai, Aijaz Ahmad Thokru, Ashraf Dar, Showkat Ahmad, Haseeb Ahmad and Saqib Mir, all from Annatnag district, Khurshid Ahmad from Kulgam, and Azad Hussain from Shopian.
One among the deceased drowned in local area while fleeing. More than hundred protesters have also been injured in the clashes across Kashmir.
A local hospital (SMHS) in Srinagar received around 70 injured civilians, most of them with bullet injuries.
State Intelligence chief S M Sahai said three police personnel were missing while 96 security force personnel were seriously injured.
Sahai and Inspector General of Police (Kashmir Zone) Syed Javid Mujtaba Gilani said the violent mob on Saturday burnt four police stations, two minority police pickets, and an office of the tehsildar.
Besides, there were two incidents of weapon snatching and torching of several vehicles of the security forces.
The Centre has reportedly rushed 12 companies of CRPF to Kashmir to assist the local administration in maintaining the law and order situation in the area.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh has said the Centre is working with the state government to bring normalcy in the valley. In a tweet, Singh appealed to the people to remain calm and maintain peace.
The mobile internet and train services are suspended in the valley and the Amarnath Yatra remains temporarily suspended and around ten thousand pilgrims are reportedly stranded at Jammu.
CBSE has postponed the UGC-NET exam scheduled for today in Srinagar. The new date of examination will be announced later.
At least 100 protesters were injured on Saturday. They suffered bullet, tear smoke and pellet injuries.
Violence erupted in south Kashmir districts of Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam and later spread to other districts in the valley after security forces killed Wani and two of his associates in Bamdoora (Kokarnag) village of Anantnag district on Friday.
Wani was buried in his native Shariefabad (Tral) village on Saturday where nearly 40,000 people gathered defying curfew restrictions to take part in his funeral prayers.
The separatists have called for a valley-wide shutdown till Monday to protest against Wani’s killing.
The Jammu and Kashmir cabinet headed by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti would meet here on Sunday to deliberate on measures to deal with the situation and restore law and order.
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