Indefinite curfew was clamped in all major towns of the Kashmir Valley today in the wake of protests, even as the death toll in the violent clashes between locals and security forces rose to four.
There were also reports of sporadic protests in some parts of the Valley.
Two of the 70 people injured during protests yesterday succumbed to injuries at a hospital this morning, a police spokesman said. The deceased have been identified as Mohammed Rafiq and 30-year-old Mohammed Siddiqui of Baramulla district.
Police and paramilitary forces were deployed who opened fire to quell stone-pelting protestors and curfew has been imposed as a precautionary measure following the protests.
Curfew passes given to media persons have been cancelled, police said. This is the second time this month that curfew passes have been cancelled. On July six, curfew passes were cancelled when the army was deployed in the city.
The mob had also ransacked a police station in Pattan besides a special operation group camp in the same area.
People had taken to the streets shortly after Friday prayers and were heading towards Sopore town when the security forces intercepted them asking to disperse.
However, the protesters turned violent and indulged in stone-pelting on a CRPF picket. The security personnel opened fire, resulting in injuries to seven persons who were rushed to hospital. Two succumbed to injuries at SMHS hospital here, they said.
Seven persons were also injured when police opened fire after a group of youths went on rampage and set ablaze a vehicle parked inside police station Pattan, 27 kms from here on Srinagar-Baramulla national highway, police said.
The clashes come nearly 10 days after a person was killed and another injured in police firing in self-defence on a mob which turned violent during funeral of youth who had drowned in Jhelum river in Baramulla district.
Condemning the killings, Opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had said yesterday that such incidents were contributing to an "unprecedented worsening of situation".
PDP general secretary Mohammad Dilawar Mir, in a statement here, accused the state administration of failing to perform its duty.
The state unit of CPI(M) also expressed grief and shock over the killings.
