Burhan Wani death: 21 killed, 300 CRPF personnel injured as violence spreads in Jammu & Kashmir

As the death toll in Jammu and Kashmir touched 21 on Sunday, the Mehbooba Mufti-led Jammu and Kashmir government appealed to the Hurriyat Conference (HC) for help in restoring peace and order.

"The cabinet expressed grief and anguish over the loss of precious human lives and made a fervent appeal to all shades of political opinion, including the mainstream and the separatists, to help restore calm as violence has neither served any purpose in the past nor is it going to do so now," J&K minister for education Naeem Akhtar said.

Hours after Mehbooba Mufti government sent SOS to separatists for help, HC hawk Syed Ali Shah Geelani appealed to people to maintain discipline and not to damage police stations and ambulances. The CRPF has sent 12 companies from Chandigarh and New Delhi on Sunday to Jammu and Kashmir. Of these, six companies are already in Tral and Pulwama in south Kashmir.

Since Saturday, as locals began protesting over 300 CRPF personnel were injured in the incidences of stone pelting. Curfew remained in force in most parts of the valley on Sunday. Mobile network remained suspended for the second day in a row. For the second day, Amarnath yatra was suspended from Jammu and no vehicle was allowed to proceed towards Kashmir. More than 30,000 pilgrims are stranded in the base camps in Kashmir and Jammu.

"The situation is under control. Curfew has been imposed at those places only where it was necessary", said K Rajendra Kumar, director-general of police. Protests have spread to newer areas in Kashmir, with people clashing with security forces at many places. A youth was killed in Tengpora on Sunday evening. Shabir Ahmad became the first fatality from the capital city since the unrest began on Friday.

"Three persons, Irfan Ahmad Malik. Gulzar Ahmad Pandit and Fayaz Ahmad Waza, succumbed to their injuries. One police vehicle and some seized vehicles were set afire at Lasipora", a police spokesman said. A police driver was killed when protestors pushed the bullet- proof armoured vehicle into the Jhelum river at Sangam. "Driver Afroz Ahmad drowned in it. An unruly mob attacked a fire tender, which was on way to Sangam after a distress call. The call later proved to be a hoax. The vehicle was damaged in the incident," the spokesman said.

Efforts are on to trace the three policemen who have gone missing after a mob set ablaze one of the buildings of the Damhal Hanjipora police station and took 20 cops hostage before firing on them, causing injuries to three on Saturday.

"Unruly mob set the GRP guard room and RPF barrack at Bijbehara railway station and a police post at Damhal Khushipora on fire. A single-storey structure at Soibugh Budgam, from where a police post used to function, was also set afire," the spokesman said. The residence of a sub-divisional police officer was also set ablaze.

"Militants lobbed two grenades on CRPF personnel in Murran Chowk, injuring some. The vehicle of Shopian SP was fired upon and a grenade was lobbed. Militants also fired upon the Uttressu police post", he said.

J&K minister for education Naeem Akhtar said that the cabinet asked the security forces to exercise restraint. He said there were a number of attacks on police stations and security force camps, which forced them to retaliate. "I urge the youth not to take protests to a level where forces are compelled to use weapons," he appealed.

h_ishfaq@dnaindia.net