Protests break out in Tahab, Sopore villages 

Pulwama/Sopore: Protests and clashes broke out in southern and northern village on Tuesday against the alleged ‘highhandedness’ of forces and arrest of two locals boys respectively.

Reports said that the locals in Tahab area of Pulwama alleged highhandedness by forces during night and took to streets this morning to protest against the men in uniform.

Locals alleged that Army, SOG and CRPF in the intervening night of Monday-Tuesday broke the window panes of several houses and thrashed many inmates during the nocturnal Cordon and Search Operations in Tahab village.

Locals alleged that the forces during the CASO thrashed both men and women.

The locals said that the forces allegedly thrashed some members of minority community as well.

“At around 2:30am people in uniform entered our house and thrashed us,” Anil Koul, who lives in Tahab village, said.

Koul said that they pleaded before the men in uniform but they didn’t listen to their pleas and continued thrashing them.

Koul alleged that some guests present in his home were also thrashed by the men in uniform.

“A CRPF camp, situated nearer to our residence had provided us their number to call in case of emergency but despite repeated attempts they didn’t respond,” Koul claimed.

Koul urged the government to intervene in the matter.

Following the highhandedness of the forces, people of Tahab assembled at Main Chowk in the morning and started protesting against what they termed as the ‘highhandedness’ of forces. The protestors demanded removal of the Army camp from the area.

Later a team of official headed by District Development Commissioner (DDC) Pulwama, Ghulam Mohammad Dar reached the spot and pacified the protesters after assuring them that the matter will be investigated.

“The RR camp from the area will he shifted by tomorrow and the decision about the shifting of CRPF camp will also be taken within period of ten days,” he said.

Notably, some gunshots at around 8:30pm were heard in the area on Monday after which the area was cordoned off.

DDC Pulwama told ‘Kashmir Vision’ that the RR camp from the area will be shifted and decision regarding the shifting of CRPF camp will also be taken soon.

Meanwhile, in north Kashmir at least four persons sustained injuries during clashes that broke out in Sopore area of Baramulla district.

The clashes broke out following the search operation during which forces detained two persons in Brath village on the Sopore outskirts.

The duo was identified as Khurshid Ahmed Mir, son of Abdul Rashid Mir and Mehraj Ahmed, both residents of Brath Kalan Sopore.

A police official said that on receiving inputs about the presence of militants in the area, a cordon and search operation was launched jointly by 22RR, SOG, J&K police and CRPF on Tuesday wee hours.

During the search operation, a few gunshots were also heard, creating panic among the masses.

However, sources said that no contact was established with the militants.

Following the arrest of the duo, people took to streets and started protesting and pelting stones on security forces who retaliated by lobbing some smoke shells and pellets resulting in injuries to four youth.

The injured were referred to nearby hospital for treatment.

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