Youth killed in Pulwama clashes, dozens injured

Pulwama : A massive Cordon and Search Operation in several villages of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district Monday morning triggered intense clashes at various places resulting in injuries to dozens of protesters . One youth who was critically injured in clashes in Gusoo village succumbed to his injuries at SMHS Hopital Srinagar.
Reports said that Government Forces launched a massive search operations in several villages of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district after receiving inputs about the presence of militants in some villages of the district Monday morning.
Reports said over 18 villages of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district were brought under siege and cordon and search operations were launched. Witnesses said that the operation against militants was launched to nab or neutralize Hizbul Mujhadeen Operational Commander Riyaz Naiko, the brain behind the recent abductions and subsequent release of cops and their relatives.
Two back to back audio messages of Naikoo went viral threatening anti freedom movement elements particularly policemen and scribes.
Police officials confirmed that massive Cordon and Search Operations were launches in 18 villages Monday morning. “The soldiers from 44, 53, 55 Rashtriya Rifles of Indian Army, 182 and 183 Battalions of Para military troopers CRPF and SOG Pulwama conducted these searches,” the officials said.
Some of the villages brought under siege included Rohmu, Belou, Rajpora, Mitrigam, Putrigam, Frasipora, Gosuu, Kachherpora, Chek, Mirgund, Muran, Zagigam, Tukkarpora, Drabgam, Hanjan, Kamrazipora and others.
Reports said that at couple of places youth clashed with Government Forces during the search operation. Clashes broke out in Muran where youth hit to roads and pelted stones on deployed Forces. The Forces in retaliation fired tear-smoke shells to disperse them.
In Gusso village a youth was killed after he received a bullet in his head. Reports said that youth hurled stones on Forces who used live ammunition. One youth whom police sources identified as Fayaz Ahmed Wani son of Muhammad Ahsan, a resident of Chew Kalan sustain head injuries. He was shifted to District Hospital Pulwama where doctors referred him to SMHS. The doctors at SMHS declared him brought dead. A police party seized the dead body in Srinagar and kept it at Police Control Room for some time. The locals accompanying the dead tried to resist police action but failed. They raised pro-freedom slogans.
The killing sparked spontaneous shutdown and clashes in Pulwama. A large number of people hit to roads and organized pro-freedom protests.
While condemning the killing of youth, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq tweeted: “As Amarnath Yatra ends more than 20 villages of South Kashmir under massive cordon and search operation. Forces went berserk, in Murran, Pulwama one civilian Fayaz Ahmed shot dead by forces, more than 25 injured as people came out to resist the operation to harass them. Terrorising”