Meanwhile, one more youth succumbed to his injuries at a hospital here, taking the to toll in the ongoing Kashmir unrest to 36. The unrest was triggered after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani last Friday. The dead include a policeman.
“No major clash has been reported from anywhere so far, though minor stone-pelting incidents took place in some areas,” said a police official. The situation, however, continued to be tense, he said.
The police, which are exploring new ways to deal with violent protests, are planning to use drones, equipped with hi-tech cameras, for surveillance purposes. Such a remote-controlled unmanned aerial vehicle was briefly flown in the deserted Lal Chowk, nerve centre of capital Srinagar, on Thursday.
Irfan Ahmad Dar, 18, who was allegedly beaten up by security forces outside his house at Tuli Noorpora village of Kulgam district on July 9 and was undergoing treatment for hemorrhage at the SKIMS Hospital, succumbed to his injuries on Thursday morning, officials said.
While the four South Kashmir districts – Anantnag, Kulgam, Shopian and Pulwama – accounted for 34 deaths, one death each took place in Srinagar and Kupwara districts.
The officials said residents fished out the body of a youth from river Jhelum at Jeobara village of Awantipora in Pulwama district on Wednesday. Identified as Zahoor Ahmad Mantoo of Kakapora village, he was reportedly missing after he left home to attend Burhan’s funeral procession.
“It seems it is a case of drowning and unrelated to the unrest... Medical and legal formalities have been conducted and there were no marks of violence or fire arm injury on the body,” Deputy Commissioner Pulwama Muneer-ul-Islam said.
The authorities concerned have decided to impose strict curfew in Pulwama district, including Tral, the native place of Burhan, on Friday as they apprehend trouble after the jumma prayers. Pulwama district will be placed under strict curfew on Friday as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order, the DC said, adding, “It is requested people should not venture out of their homes tomorrow.”