Srinagar: Massive clashes rocked Shopian and Pulwama districts on Sunday, a day ahead of the polling in the twin south Kashmir districts. Several persons including polling staff were wounded amid while many government buildings were set ablaze.
Official sources said that a youth Sohail Ahmad Dar suffered pellet injuries when police and government forces resorted to using of force to disperse protesters at Palpora area of Shopian. The injured has been hospitalized and his condition is stated to be stable, they said.
Some youth also pelted stones upon polling parties at Zawoora Shopian and they were dispersed by using few teargas shells.
Reports of stone pelting upon polling staff vehicles were also received from Pinjoora, Meemander and Narwaw Shopian.
Polling staff was also attacked with stones by youth at Narpora Shopian when they were on way from Shopian to Keller. The government forces fired tear smoke shells. In the dingdong clashes, some officials and youth received injuries during the stone pelting.
Stone pelting upon polling staff was also reported near Goal Masjid Tral and reportedly window panes of an SRTC Bus were damaged.
Clashes also erupted near Mir Mohallah Shadab Kareewa Shopian and some persons pelted stones as a result of which window panes of SRTC bus got damaged. Government forces fired teargas shells to disperse the protesters.
The government forces also fired teargas shells fired pellets and reported to aerial firing after the polling staff came under heavy stone pelting at Devpora and Mashwar Shopian, they said.
A presiding officer of a polling station of Pastoona Tral namely Nazir Ahmad and a trooper of SSB were injured in stone pelting at Lurgam area of Tral. Both the injured were hospitalized.
At 07:30 hours, report said, unknown persons set ablaze middle school at Tumpora Keller Shopian. The fire and emergency sleuths swiftly acted and brought the fire under control.
Sources said that stones were pelted upon polling staff at Koil Pulwama following which the government forces deployed there fired teargas shells while army’s 55RR patrolling party fired a few aerial gunshots. There were no reports about injury to anyone in the clashes, reports said.
Meanwhile, some unknown persons set ablaze a Panchayat Ghar at Chandpora Rajpora and also set on fire a the building of Revenue department (Pathwar Khana) at Rajpora. Reports also said that some unknown persons set on fire a building of Government High School at village Qasbayar in Rajpora Pulwama.
An official while confirming it said that fire tenders were immediately called in and brought the fire under control at these places. Unknown persons also set on fire a Panchayat Gar at Drubgam Pulwama, they said.
Clashes were also received from Saraf Kadal as youth pelted stones at 23rd Battalion CRPF. The government forces fired few teargas shells and fired pellets due to which at least four persons got injured.