One more youth dies as Kashmir simmers

Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) continued to be on the boil on Saturday with one more youth getting killed and three others being injured in firing by security forces in Kupwara district to disperse stone-pelting mobs who attacked an army camp. Protests rocked many places in Kupwara and its adjoining areas to mark the fourth day of death of three persons who were killed in firing by security forces in Handwara town on Tuesday following allegations of molestation of a girl.

A police official said, four persons were injured when security forces opened fire on a mob which was pelting stones on an army camp at Kupwara’s Nathnusa area, about 100 kms from here. Among the injured, a youth, Arif Ahmad, was hurt critically and succumbed to his wounds later, sources said.

With the latest casualty, the death toll has risen to five in the unrest that began on Tuesday, following allegations of molestation of a girl in Handwara. An Army official said, the forces opened fire only after the mobs tried to storm the camp. “A group of protesters was pelting stones at the (Army) camp but the soldiers exercised restraint. However, the situation started going out of hand as a large number of them tried to storm the camp from all directions,” the official said.