Clashes mar Eid celebrations in Valley

When the prayers ended, youths in Eidgah started raising anti-India slogans. According to eyewitnesses, some also threw stones at security forces, leading to clashes between the two sides. Security forces resorted to teargas shelling to disperse the protesters.

[related-post]

Protests were also witnessed in the city centre, Lal Chowk, and in parts of north and south Kashmir. In most places, police used teargas to control the crowd.

Geelani , Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and other separatist leaders were put under house arrest, and could not step out to offer prayers.

Meanwhile, on the eve of Eid, the Jammu & Kashmir Police released several stone pelters who had been arrested from the old city in the last few weeks. Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, Javaid Mujtaba Gilani said around 40 people had been released.

Inspector General of Police Kashmir Javid Mujtaba Gilani told The Indian Express that police has released around 40 stone pelters. “We released them on the eve of Eid,” he said.

Gilani said that the situation overall remained “peaceful” across the valley barring few minor incidents on Saturday. “There were incidents of stone pelting in Eidgah in Srinagar and in Lal-chowk Anantnag,” he said. “We have registered a case, after a Pakistani flag was raised inside the Eidgah ground today.”

Flags of Pakistani and Islamic State (IS) were hoisted by youths outside the Jamia Masjid in old city area of Srinagar on Friday.