20 injured in clashes, elderly woman dies after casting vote
Kupwara, April 11: A 13-year-old boy was killed and a youth injured as government forces resorted to live ammunition and pellets as they were returning from election duty in Langate area of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Thursday night.
Official sources told GNS that a group of youth allegedly pelted stones at government forces when they were returning from election duty near Mandigam village of Langate. The government forces, they said, fired pellets and used live ammunition, leading to the death of a boy identified as Owais Ahmad son of Mushtaq Ahmad Mir resident of Mandigam Qaziabad. One more youth was also injured due to pellet firing in the area.
A doctor at Handwara hospital told GNS the boy was brought dead and he had multiple injuries.
Meanwhile, a 19-year-old Mohammad Yaseen Bhat was injured due to pellet firing in Pattan and he was shifted to Trauma Hospital in the area from where he was shifted to Srinagar for specialized treatment.
An elderly woman namely Hajira begum (60) wife of Mohd Ashraf Chakan of Bun Nowgam Sumbal after casting her vote at polling booth in Nowgam fell unconscious and was rushed to nearby hospital where doctors declared her brought dead.
Reports of stone pelting clashes were also recieved from Shakoor Din Mohalla Hajin, Sadnar Sumbal, Khimna Bharabad Sumbal, Lank Reshipora Bandipora, Kazipora Bandipora, JamiaQadeem Sopore, Chewa Sumbal, Kralgund Qaziabad Handwara and Nowgam Sumbal.
20 persons including a CRPF trooper, SRTC driver Abdul Hamid Wani, a goverment official Ghulam Qadri Sheikh and an ASI Mohd Ramzan were injured in clashes.
Two voters namely Nisar Ahmad Sheikh and Bashir Ahamd Ganai received injuries after being pelted with stones at Aloosa Kralpora in Kupwara and Jamia Qadeem Sopore. (GNS)
