Pulwama terror attack: Curfew in Jammu following protests

Srinagar: Curfew was imposed in Jammu city on Friday following violence in which at least 12 persons were injured and dozens of vehicles of local and Kashmiri Muslims were torched or damaged by irate crowds of youth protesting against the killing of 49 CRPF jawans in Thursday’s suicide attack near Srinagar.

The violence occurred during a one day strike against the deadliest ever attack since the Kashmiri separatist campaign turned violence nearly three decades ago. The call for the strike had been issued by Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the same was endorsed by various political, social and religious organizations and also the Jammu bar council.

Reports from Jammu said that protesters, mainly youth, took to the streets in several areas of the winter capital including Purani Mandi, Raghunath Bazaar, Jewel Chowk, Rehari, Janipur, Gandhinagar, Bakshi Nagar, Muthi, Talab Tilloo and Satwari to chant slogans against Pakistan. They also demanded stern action against the militants and their supporters in the Valley. The protesters refused to disperse even after announcements about the imposition of curfew were made from loudspeaker-fitted police jeeps.

Earlier while holding protests, the groups of youth burnt the used tyres of cars on roads and put up barricades, demanding that the attack be avenged. A group of motorcycle-borne youth, carrying the Tricolour, pelted stones on the stationary vehicles and residential houses at a couple of places. They subsequently set dozens of vehicles ablaze in Prem Nagar locality. Activists and supporters of various rightwing outfits including Shiv Sena, Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad repeated the acts of arson while passing through neighbouring Gujjar Nagar. The main target of their ire was the parked cars and other vehicles in the predominantly Muslim locality, the witnesses said. The locals alleged that the mob started torching these vehicles without any provocation.

In view of the heightening tensions, Jammu’s District Magistrate Ramesh Kumar announced imposition of curfew,  first in Gujjar Nagar and its neighbourhood and then in entire Jammu City. He said that curfew was imposed on the winter capital to maintain law and order, public tranquillity and to protect life and property of general public.

Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir police has said that it had sent an intelligence input to the Army, the Air Force and various forces alerting them about a possible major terror attack by militants. On Thursday, 49 CRPF men were killed and several others injured in a suicide attack on their convoy near Srinagar.