After the the poster boy of the separatist movement of Kashmir, Burhan Wani, of Hizbul Mujahideen was shot dead, sympathisers from all across the state poured in to pay tribute to not a militant but a fallen hero.
After the the poster boy of the separatist movement of Kashmir, Burhan Wani, of Hizbul Mujahideen was shot dead, sympathisers from all across the state poured in to pay tribute to not a militant but a fallen hero.
Following the death of Wani, the presence of public on the streets of Kashmir was met with hostility, with a curfew being imposed to curb any further unrest.
But the mercury kept rising at the "heaven on earth" as the intensity of clashes between the armed forces and the protestors kept going up. For pelting stones, it turned to petrol bombs and grenades.
Eventually digression from the standard procedure from crowd control began. Instead of water guns and tear gas, pellet guns and in certain cases, even live ammunitions were used.
Attacks on military personnel and police became rampant. It was met with severe retaliation and resultant loss of lives.
So far, 42 civilians have been killed and over 3500 injured, as reported by Reuters. Three policemen also lost their lives in the unrest in Kashmir.
The usage of pellet gun has attracted a lot of flak, as it has fatally injured many while some have lost their eyesight. One such case was that of 14-year old Insha Malik, who was blinded by the pellet guns. Such drastic measures have been strongly criticised across the nation.
Not the first time in Kashmir, but media gag on the local press was also imposed. The gag was lifted on Tuesday, but considering that mobilization of press would take time, only the online news agencies would remain active.
With the curfew on for the 12th day, take a look at some of the photographs from the paradise in flame.
1. Policemen stand guard
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Policemen stand next to a burning handcart set on fire by demonstrators during a protest in Srinagar against the recent killings in Kashmir. (Photo courtesy - Reuters)
2. Checkposts to regulate and screen civilians
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Policeman checking the identity card of Kashmiri men as others stand guard during a curfew in Srinagar. (Photo courtesy - Reuters)
3. Scene of curfew
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Kashmiri Muslims walk past paramilitary trooper on guard during a curfew in Srinagar. (Photo courtesy - AFP)
4. Dental Permit
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A man shows his tooth to a policemen as he seeks permission to see a doctor after he was stopped during a curfew in Srinagar. (Photo courtesy - Reuters)
5. Insha Malik, blinded 14-year old
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Kashmiri girl Insha Malik, 14, lays in a hospital bed after being shot with pellets fired by security forces, with doctors saying she had lost vision in both eyes, in the surgical ICU hospital in Srinagar on July 16, 2016. According to relatives, Insha was on the first floor of her home when forces fired pellet guns into the building on July 12. She was rushed to the hospital and joined hundreds of injured Kashmiris who have reported devastating eye injuries caused by "non-lethal" pellet gun firings. (Photo courtesy - AFP)
6. Protestor injured by pellets
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Kashmiri volunteers bring a man injured by pellets after being shot during clashes between security forces and protesters to hospital in the town of Sopore, north of Srinagar on July 15. Kashmir's main hospital struggled to treat hundreds of patients wounded in four days of clashes July 12, as medics warned that many could lose their eyesight from shotgun injuries. As the overall death toll from the violence rose, ambulances continued to deliver more victims to Srinagar's Sri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital (SMHS) where patients were sometimes forced to share beds. (Photo courtesy - AFP)
7. Outside Kashmir's lone maternity
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Attendants of patients at Kashmir's lone maternity Lal Ded hospital eat lunch distributed by a group in Srinagar on July 18. Due to the strict curfew during unrest in Kashmir, patients and their attendants have suffered the absence of essential commodities and closure of markets, while the Relief Committee Wazir Bagh group has strived to provide them with free food. (Photo courtesy - AFP)
8. Blow to local business
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A Kashmiri vegetable vendor sits in his boat as he waits for customers during a curfew in Srinagar. (Photo courtesy - Reuters)
9. Amarnath pilgrims stranded
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Amaranth pilgrims at a base camp in Jammu on Friday. The Amarnath Yatra was suspended on Friday in the view of prevailing tension in Kashmir Valley. (Photo courtesy - PTI)
