Curfew lifted from Valley amid tension

Kashmir Valley on Saturday remained free from curfew and curfew-like-restrictions for the first time in the past two and a half months even as two youths were injured in police firing in Srinagar during protestor-security force clashes.

A police spokesman said curfew was completely lifted from capital Srinagar and all other major and minor towns on Saturday.

However, clashes erupted in Srinagar during which protestors shouting pro-freedom slogans clashed with security forces at Khanyar, Saraf Kadal, Bana Mohalla, Kalamdanpora and Karfalli Mohalla areas of the city.

Police and paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force used tear smoke and baton charges to disperse the protestors who, however, continued to re-group.

Security forces opened fire wounding two protestors who were evacuated to hospital for treatment.

Their condition, according to the spokesman, was stable.

A complete shutdown was observed on Saturday across the Valley as part separatist 'Quit Kashmir campaign' launched in June by the hard-line separatist All Parties Hurriyat Conference.

In the north Kashmir's apple-rich Sopore town, an angry mob indulged in heavy stone pelting on the police station on Saturday evening.

Police used tear smoke and baton charges to disperse the stone pelters who, however, were re-grouping.

Five policemen are reported injured in the stone pelting, one of the critically. The injured were evacuated to hospital for treatment.

Reports of stone pelting have come in from Baramulla in north and south Kashmir Pulwama towns.