PULWAMA: Intense clashes broke out in south Kashmir Thursday afternoon after protestors tried to set ablaze police vehicles in the area.
Authorities have imposed a curfew in Pulwama town and its adjoining areas after a local militant, Tawseef Ahmad of Pulwama district was killed in an encounter with forces in Dalwan village of central Kashmir.
The encounter led to resentment among the locals who alleged that the slain was killed in astaged encounter. Defying curfew orders, they came out on the streets and shouted anti- India and pro-freedom slogans.
Reports said a large gathering of protestors including women and children hit the streets in Muran chowk and pelted stones at the forces who have been deployed in large numbers in the area to prevent any protest.
The protestors pelted stones at the forces who retaliated with teargas and fired in the air to disperse the crowd. They also tried to set ablaze police and Army vehicles parked in the locality but their attempts were foiled.
On Wednesday, Army and police personnel shot dead Tawseef Ahmad in Dalwan village, some 38 kilometres from summer capital Srinagar, who they said was a militant. The forces claimed to have recovered arms and ammunition from his possession.
Protests had broken out in the village after the encounter when the forces refused to hand over the body of the slain militant to the locals in which a young boy was injured.