Clash in Kashmir as Sopore strike enters fourth day

A clash broke out at Sopore as locals, observing a strike since the death of a civilian in a militant attack on a police station in the North Kashmir town on Friday, hurled stones at security personnel prompting the cops to chase them away.
    
However, no one was injured as the clash was minor in nature, official sources here said.
    
The clash took place when some youths threw stones at police personnel while returning from the martyrs' graveyard in the town, 55 km from here, where they had assembled for 'Rasme chaharum' (the fourth day ritual after death) of Pervaiz Ahmad, the civilian who was killed in the attack, the sources said.
    
Ahmad and a policeman fell to the bullets on Friday following a militant attack on Sopore Police Station.
    
However, the locals accused police for the death of the civilian and staged violent demonstrations over the past three days, demanding a probe.
    
The police and paramilitary forces who have been deployed in strength chased away the protestors, the sources said, adding the situation in the town was tense but under control.
    
The sources said shops remained closed while transport was off the roads for the fourth day today.
    
The locals accused police and paramilitary forces of implementing curfew-like restrictions in the town.
    
"Police and CRPF personnel are not allowing us to come out of our houses and those who had ventured out are being driven back or beaten up," the locals claimed.
    
However, police strongly denied the imposition of curfew but said prohibitory orders are being implemented strictly to maintain law and order.