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Afzal Guru hanged: 5 injured, curfew imposed in Kashmir

Two protestors were critically wounded when police opened fire in old town Baramulla thus taking toll to 5.

A protestor was critically wounded when police opened fire on protestors in old town Baramulla thus taking the number of injured people to 5.

Today morning, as the protestors took to streets at old town Baramulla, police and paramilitary forces opened fire to disperse them. A protestor Bilal Ahmad Gojri was critically wounded. He has been rushed to Srinagar for treatment.

With injuries to Gojri, the number of persons injured in two separate firing incidents has risen to five, two of them are critically wounded. Earlier in the day, four protestors were killed when police and paramilitary forces opened fire on protestors when they were marching towards Doabgah, Guru?s native village, in Sopore.

Even as curfew has been imposed across Kashmir, four persons were injured when police and paramilitary forces opened fire on protestors at Doabagah in Sopore. One of the injured is critical.

Soon after the news of Guru?s execution spread, thousands of villagers from Doabagh – the native village of Afzal Guru ? and its surrounding villages marched towards his home. The Police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel who had already sealed the village opened fire to prevent the protestors from entering the village. Four persons were wounded in the firing, one of them critically.

Even before Guru was hanged inside Tihar Jail, a strict curfew was imposed across Kashmir valley. Curfew was imposed in Kashmir at 2.30 in the morning. Army has been called-in in the twin town of Sopore and Baramulla to enforce strict curfew.

However, despite the presence of Army, youth took to streets in Sopore town to protest against the execution of Guru. And as police and CRPF personnel tried to disperse them, clashes erupted between protestors and the paramilitary forces at several places in the town.

A strict curfew has also been imposed in Srinagar and other major towns of Kashmir valley. In Srinagar, police has erected barricades and laid spools of concertina wire in the old city to block all the roads. Police and paramilitary forces have been deployed in heavy numbers and people are not allowed to move out of their houses.

Curfew has been also imposed in south Kashmir?s, Pulwama, Shopian, Anantnag and Bijbehara towns. In Pulwama, police fired warning shots in air when they saw some people moving towards the main road.

Muslims in Doda and Kishtwar towns kept their shutters down in protest against the hanging of Parliament attack accused Afzal Guru at Delhi?s Tihar jail this morning.

There has been no response to Guru?s hanging in rest of the Jammu division. Kishtwar?s officiating Deputy Commissioner R K Shewan and Doda?s Senior Superintendent of Police Arif Rishu told The Indian Express that they were closely monitoring situation in their respective districts. It was peaceful and under control.

Meanwhile, in other Muslim dominated areas of Jammu region especially Poonch, Rajouri and Ramban districts, there was no reaction to the hanging of Afzal Guru as both Hindus and Muslims were reopening their business establishments and traffic plying on the roads as usual.

Senior civil and police officers were monitoring the situation, but there was no prohibitory orders under section 144 CrPC, or curfew imposed in any part of Jammu region. As Afzal Guru was charged with attacking parliament which is taken in high esteem even by Muslims as an institution of democracy, there is not likely to be much reaction to his hanging from among members of his community except for certain areas where separatists have influence, said a Muslim leader who wished not to be named.

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First published on: 09-02-2013 at 12:58 IST
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