Stone-pelting near Srinagar mosque

Mobs indulged in stone-pelting near the historic Jamia Masjid here as also in parts of Sopore and Kupwara today, on a day Kashmir was celebrating Jumat-ul-Vida, the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadhan.

Barring these incidents, the festival was celebrated with religious fervor, with lakhs of devotees including men, women and children thronging mosques, shrines and Khankahs across the Kashmir valley to offer congregational prayers braving scorching summer heat.

Shortly after Friday prayers, mobs of youth resorted to stone-pelting near the Jamia Masjid and adjoining areas of Srinagar, leading to clashes with law enforcing agencies, officials said. Police fired teargas shells and used batons to disperse the stone-pelting protesters to restore the law and order, they said.

The clashes near Jamia masjid and adjoining areas were continuing when last reports were received, they said.

Similar incidents were reported from main chowk in Sopore in Baramulla district as well as in Kupwara town but there was no immediate report of any causality, the officials said. Earlier, Jamia Masjid witnessed the highest gathering where over 50,000 devotees offered the prayers, the 

officials said.