Curfew imposed in occupied Kashmir, death toll reaches 20

ISLAMABAD: The death toll on Sunday rose to 20 after a youth was killed and four other persons succumbed to the injuries they sustained in Saturday's clashes with security forces.

Irfan Ahmad Malik, 17, was killed in fresh firing in Pulwama district where a curfew-defying mob attacked the security forces, a senior police official said.

Four other persons, identified as Imtiyaz Ahmad Mandoo, Mashooq Ahmad and Safeer Ahmad, all from Anantnag district, and Mohammmad Altaf Rather from Pulwama district died at a hospital on Sunday.

Curfew was imposed in Indian occupied Kashmir on Sunday after 12 protesters were shot dead in police and forces’ firing in south Kashmir on Saturday.

According to Kashmir Media Service, the Divisional Commissioner, Asghar Hussain Samoon, while talking to media in Srinagar confirmed that curfew had been imposed in the entire valley.

No one is allowed to come out of his home.

Reports from south Kashmir said that an ambulance driver, carrying civilians injured in forces firing, was badly beaten by Indian troops in Islamabad district.The ambulance was also damaged by the forces.

Meanwhile a two-day shutdown is being observed in the entire Kashmir Valley from today.

Call for the strike was jointly given by the Chairman of All Parties Hurriyet Conference Syed Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik against the killing spree unleashed by Indian army and police, following the martyrdom of Burhan Wani in the territory.

On the other hand, Syed Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Shabbir Ahmad Shah, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Mohammad Ashraf  Sehrai, Nayeem Ahmad Khan, Shahidul Islam, Altaf Ahmed Shah, Javaid Ahmed Mir, Qazi Yasir, Ayaz Akbar, Showkat Ahmad Bakhshi, Noor Muhammad Kalwal and many other Hurriyet leaders continue to be either under detention or under house arrest.