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| Mob attacks CRPF Commanding Officer in Tral | | 4 CRPF, 2 civilians injured in clash, shootout | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
SRINAGAR, Aug 16: Commanding Officer of a battalion of CRPF had a narrow escape when a pro-Azadi crowd of more than 1,000 people attacked a paramilitary cavalcade at Tral in South Kashmir. Four CRPF sustained injuries and their vehicles were badly damaged even as two of the mob sustained gunshot wounds in resultant shootout.
Informed sources told Early Times that a 1,000-strong crowd, shouting pro-Azadi and anti-India slogans, attacked the cavalcade of Commanding Officer of CRPF 180 Bn, Neeraj Pandey, at Tral township in Pulwama district when the paramilitary deployments were withdrawing from the national highway and returning to the battalion headquarters this evening.
Sources said that the crowds raised the pitch of slogans on sighting the cavalcade and launched an attack on the Commandant's bullet-proof Gypsy as also a non-BP Gypsy carrying the escort personnel. All the paramilitaries jumped out of the vehicles and took shelter behind a structure. The crowds destroyed the non-BP Gypsy completely. The Commandant's vehicles also suffered extensive damage. Four CRPF personnel sustained injuries in stone pelting after they were manhandled by the angry crowds.
In the thick of clash, CRPF opened fire, causing injuries to at least two of the demonstrators. Both were reportedly rushed to a Srinagar hospital after the paramilitaries reached back to their camp.
CRPF spokesperson, Prabhakar Tripathi, told Early Times that Commanding Officer and most of his escort personnel escaped unhurt. He said that the CRPF party observed maximum possible restraint but was forced to open fire in self defence when four personnel sustained injuries and there was clear apprehension of the soldiers being lynched by the crowds. He said that two civilians sustained injuries in the shootout.
Meanwhile, intermittent clashes between demonstrators and CRPF/Police took place at more than a dozen places in Srinagar and other major towns in Kashmir valley on a day of total shutdown enforced over the call of Hurriyat (Geelani). Authorities enforced curfew in half of Srinagar city while as strict restrictions on the movement were in place at several towns.
Reports said that CRPF and RAF came under heavy attack of a stone pelting crowd at Tengpora and Maharajpora in Batmaloo area. Residents alleged that in the retaliatory action, paramilitaries and Police trooped into houses, roughed up inmates and smashed glasspanes of windows and ventilators. Clashes between the crowds and CRPF were also reported from Magharmal Bagh, Bemina, Aloochibagh and Kokernag. Officials insisted that few people sustained injuries in these clashes. Independent reports, however, insisted that more than 20 civilians and over a dozen CRPF and Police personnel sustained injuries.
Non-commercial private traffic operated in half of the capital city where some shops were also seen open.
Kashmir valley has been reeling under continual shutdown and curfew since middle of June. As many as 54 civilians have died in different clashes with Police/CRPF and attacks on public properties including over three dozen incidents of firing since a 17-year-old student, Tufail Matoo, was killed in teargas shelling on June 11th. There has been a near-total law and order breakdown and unprecedented demoralization, coupled by chaos and confusion, has been witnessed among Police and paramilitary forces this season.
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