Reports said the violence occurred after hundreds of people staged a march in the town to demonstrate against the killing and persecution of Rohingya Muslims. pti file photo
Six policemen, including two officers, were injured when stone pelting protesters clashed with security forces in Anantnag district of south Kashmir on Friday.
Reports said the violence occurred after hundreds of people staged a march in the town to demonstrate against the killing and persecution of Rohingya Muslims. Police said soon after the culmination of Friday congregation prayers, some miscreants from a mob started pelting stones on the police and security force deployment at Lal Chowk, Anantnag, 55 km from here.
"These miscreants also set a police vehicle on fire. The miscreants were chased off by using mild force. Six police personnel including DySP Hqrs Anantnag Mohammad Yousuf and sub inspector Junaid Ahmad were injured in this incident," a police spokesperson said.
Reports said after the incident violence spread to some other areas of the town too. In Srinagar, authorities fearing protests and violence didn't allow congregational Friday prayers at historic Jamia Masjid in the old city. The authorities had sealed the area to prevent pro-Rohingya protests.
Moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman and chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq who addresses at the mosque every Friday was placed under house arrest. He denounced the government move to disallow weekly congregational prayers.
An alliance of religious organisations had asked people of Kashmir to observe September 8 as “Solidarity Day” and stage peaceful protests after Friday prayers in solitary with Rohingya Muslims.
Meanwhile, separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik said that they will leave for New Dehli from Geelani’s uptown Hyderpora residence at 1 pm on Saturday and stage a protest and court arrest to protest against, what they termed as, "vilification" of Kashmiri people by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
“Mirwaiz and Malik will first reach Geelani’s Hyderpora residence and then proceed towards Srinagar airport where from they will board a Delhi-bound flight,” said a statement issued here.
The NIA has been conducting raids and arresting people associated with the separatist leaders in connection with money laundering and some other cases.