Srinagar, July 13: The killing of three militants triggered massive protests in their native places, including downtown, in which at least 40 persons sustained injuries seven of them were hit by pellets in their eyes. Government imposed curfew in Downtown to prevent people from participating in large numbers in the funeral prayers of in one of the militants.
As soon as the body of slain militant, Sajad Ahmad Gilkar, reached his native area Pandan at 3.30 pm in Nowhatta, hundreds of people flooded his residence amid pro-freedom slogans. “We were forced to visit many police stations and finally got a call from police station Nowhatta to take the body,” Sajad’s brother, Murtaza said.
The people later decided that his body will be taken to Jamia Masjid for funeral. A witness, however, said that as thousands of people marched towards Jamia Masjid, forces intercepted them and resorted to indiscriminate firing of tear gas shells and pellets on the mourners.
“The mourners first dodged the forces and made a second attempt to offer Sajad’s funeral at Jamia, but again, they were fired with tear smoke shells and pellets in which at least 25 people sustained injuries,” the witness said. The body of Sajad was later taken to nearby Radpora stadium where at least 10,000 people participated in the funeral, the witness said.
Another witness said that the body of Sajad was later laid to rest at their ancestral graveyard, Malkhah. The government had imposed curfew in majority of down town areas to prevent larger participation of people in Sajad’s funeral. “Such were the restrictions, that many mourners were disallowed to reach back to their homes after burying Sajad,” a relative of Sajad said.
At least 15 people sustained injuries, four of them with pellets at Hyderpora when people were shouldering the coffin of second slain militant Auqib. A witness said that forces fired pellets and tear gas shells to prevent people from reaching Hyderpora chowk where funeral were planned. “However, people didn’t budge and offered funeral of Aqib at Hyderpora. This was the second funeral of Aqib Earlier, first was offered at Goripora,” the witness said. Clashes broke out in the area after Aqib was laid to rest at Goripora graveyard. Eight youth sustained pellets, two of them hit in eyes, at Hyderpora and Nowhatta.
A senior doctor at SMHS said one of the injured has been hit by bullet in abdomen while other five persons have pellet injuries in different parts of bodies. “They are stable,” the doctor said. Two youth who were hit by pellets in eyes were identified as Feroz Ahmed, 19, who was hit by pellets in right Momin Reyaz, 16. On Tuesday, the hospital had received four persons with pellet injuries in different parts of body from Kupwara. Similarly, the funeral of third militant Javaid Ahmad Sheikh was offered at Arth Cricket Stadium in Narbal, witnesses said.
40 injured in clashes during militants’ funerals
