Shopian firing: Third youth succumbs to injuries

SRINAGAR: The situation turned tense at Shopian in South Kashmir on Wednesday following the death of the third critically-injured stone pelter, Rayees Ahmad Ganie, of Narpora in the same district. Thousands of people who joined the funeral of the 19-year-old youth took out protest rallies at several places in Shopian. There were, however, no reports of any untoward incident.

Rayees succumbed to his injuries after battling for life for the past five days at the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences in Soura. Soon after the body was brought to his native village, thousands of Kashmiris gathered to take part in the last rites. Four rounds of funeral prayers were held for Rayees at his ancestral graveyard. Soon after the rites were over, the mourners started raising pro-Azadi and pro-Islam slogans. Entire South Kashmir observed a shutdown.

Two stone pelters —

Javed Ahmad Bhat

(20) of

Balpora

and Suhail Javed Lone (24) of

Rawalpora Shopian

— were killed on the spot on Saturday in retaliatory firing by army personnel when their convoy was attacked by a mob of more than 200 people at

Ganapora

area in Shopian.

The Hurriyat combine leaders including Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar and

Yasin Malik

called for a ‘Jamia Masjid Chalo’ rally on February 2 against the “cold-blooded murder” of the three youths, “unabated human rights violations” and “continuous state repression”.

Geelani alleged Delhi is using its military might to crush the genuine struggle of Kashmiris but people are committed towards their goal.