Jammu unrest: Two die, 29 hurt in fresh violence
Press Trust Of India
Jammu, August 04, 2008
First Published: 20:11 IST(4/8/2008)
Last Updated: 20:51 IST(4/8/2008)
Print
In a fresh flare up, two persons were killed and 29 injured, 20 of them security force personnel, in clashes and police firing in Samba town on Monday as Jammu region continued to simmer over the Amarnath land row with protesters defying curfew at several places.
Curfew was relaxed for varying periods in Jammu and Samba districts Monday morning while it remained strictly in force in rest of the region which is witnessing unrest since June-end over the land controversy.
Defying curfew, protesters poured on to streets, indulged in heavy stone-pelting and blocked traffic near the bus stand area in Samba town this afternoon, a police spokesman said.
Police resorted to baton-charge and teargassing and when these proved ineffective, they opened fire in which two were killed and one suffered injuries.
The dead were identified as 24-year-old Sanjeev Kumar and Sunny Padha (30), the spokesman said.
Twenty security force personnel and eight civilians were injured in pitched battles between police and protesters.
Curfew was relaxed from 0500 to 0800 hrs in Jammu and from 0800 hrs to 1000 hrs in Samaba, officials said adding no untoward incident was reported from the two districts during lifting of the curfew.
Residents thronged marketplaces during the relaxation period to buy essential and other commodities, they said.
After the curfew was re-imposed, army conducted flag marches in sensitive areas in the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir.
Doctors, nurses and other staff in government hospitals in the city took mass casual leave for a day today to express their solidarity with the agitators.
Jammu unrest: Two die, 29 hurt in fresh violence- Hindustan Times