SRINAGAR/JAMMU: More protests broke out in shortened and phased curfew relaxation period in the Kashmir Valley yesterday as ten people were killed in the over 20-hour-long gunbattle between militants and security forces in Jammu, that ended early yesterday.
Police and paramilitary forces used tear smoke and baton charges against protesters in summer capital Srinagar, who formed groups to shout slogans and pelting stones. During the curfew relaxation period, protesters indulged in stone pelting on police and paramilitary in some localities of capital city and other towns. However, there was no curfew defiance today here.
Earlier in the day, government forces ended the hostage crisis in the mainly Hindu city of Jammu in Indian Kashmir when they killed the last of three rebels believed to have seized eight people, army officials said.
The slaying ended a 20-hour gunbattle with rebels who were hiding inside a two-story concrete building in the outskirts of Jammu, said senior army official D.L. Chowdhary.
Two hostages died in the gunbattle, along with the three militants, Chowdhary said. The other six hostages, including four children, survived, Chowdhary said. The security forces stormed the house and gunned down the lone holed-up militant and rescued the remaining civilian hostages. The militants had taken nine members of two families’ hostage, and started firing at the surrounding troops, killing one junior commissioned officer yesterday.
“The operation ended early today,” a senior state government officer said. “We safely rescued six hostages. In all ten people including three civilians, three hostages, an army officer and three militants were killed during the operation.”
Meanwhile, the local cable operators switched off all the national and international news channels as a retaliatory move against government ban on their news and current affairs programs early this week.
The local newspapers couldn’t hit the stands for the fifth day running, because of what the local editors said, “Strict curfew restrictions and beating of newsmen and photo-journalists by the security forces.”
