A youth was killed on Saturday when a hand-grenade exploded near him during clashes with security forces after the Eid prayers in the Anantnag district of south Kashmir.
Mobs reportedly raising “anti-India slogans” after offering Eid prayers in the Janglat Mandi area of Anantnag indulged in heavy stone pelting at the security forces who burst teargas shells to quell violence.
The youth has been identified as Sheraz Ahmad (20), who was a resident of Brakpora.
Police said that the preliminary investigation revealed that a hand-grenade exploded and the youth’s right hand got mutilated and he suffered multiple splinter injuries. However, the protesters claimed that he died due to bullet injury he had received in the firing by police. About 10 stone-pelters were injured in the clashes.
In another incident, 14-year-old Vikar Ahmad Rather was killed and a woman injured when an Army patrol opened fire at a mob that indulged in heavy stone-pelting at them last evening in the Nauporapine area of the Pulwama district in South Kashmir.
Army spokesman, Colonel Rajesh Kalia said that the army personnel faced a mob of stone-pelters while conducting an area domination patrol at Naupora where they asked owners of some cars to clear the road so that the army vehicle could move on. However, a mob collected there and started pelting stones at the army personnel and tried to overpower the jawans as a result of which they were left with no alternative but to resort to aerial firing in self-defence.
Incidents of violence after Eid prayers have also been reported from a few other places in the Valley. Separatist Syed Ali Shah Geelani claimed that the police did not allow him to move out of his house to offer Eid prayers at the Idgah.
Incidents of stone-pelting were also reported from Shopian, Srinagar and Kupwara.
Meanwhile, a large number of people visited mosques to offer prayers as the fasting month of Ramzan ended. The biggest gathering was at the Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar where thousands of people offered Eid prayers.