Another day of violence on Kashmir's streets

Police fired warning shots and lobbed teargas shells to disperse stone-pelting protestors during two-hour curfew relaxation in old Anantnag town on Saturday morning even as authorities imposed curfew in two more areas of Trehgam and Kupwara towns after agitation by locals.

Barring uptown areas of Srinagar, curfew restrictions continued to be in place in Baramulla, Mattan, Bijbehara, Dooru, Kokernag, Achhabal in Anantnag, Qaimoh in Kulgam and Pulwama districts.

Curfew imposed in Anantnag town on June 29 following killing of three persons was relaxed for two hours from 7 am on Saturday morning in old town areas. However, the relaxation was withdrawn as people took to the streets in Lal Chowk and Sherpora areas and pelted stones on law enforcing agencies, police said.

As the protests intensified, police lobbed tear gas shells and fired in the air to disperse the protestors, police said, adding no one was injured.

Curfew was also imposed in north Kashmir's Kupwara town and its adjoining areas on Saturday.

Kupwara witnessed clashes between protestors and security forces on Friday after prayers in which over a dozen persons were injured, four of them seriously.

Additional contingents of police and paramilitary forces continued to patrol the deserted streets of the Valley, where life remained crippled for the eighth successive day due to the curfew restrictions and strike.

Government offices, educational institutions, banks, semi-government offices, shops and business markets remained closed and transport, both public and private, was off the roads.