Security forces fired pellets in the air and burst teargas shells to disperse stone pelting demonstrators, who hit the streets at Maisuma near here immediately after National Investigation Agency (NIA) left after conducting raids at the residence of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Mohammad Yaseen Malik.
Malik was arrested during the intervening night of February 22-23 after Union Minister Rajnath Singh directed state government to take action against separatists following death of 44 CRPF personnel in a fidayeen attack by Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) on February 14 at Awantipora in Pulwama on Srinagar-Jammu national highway.
Immediately after the NIA sleuths left the residence of Malik at Maisuma, people, mostly youths, his the streets and started pelting stones and raising slogans. However, security forces already deployed in the area to provide security during the NIA raid, swung into action and stopped them from moving towards Budshah Chowk.
Security forces fired pellets in the air and burst teargas shells to disperse the demonstrators who were pelting stones from narrow lanes and bylanes. Clashes were going on when the reports last came in, they said.
Shops and business establishments remained closed in Maisuma, Medina chowk, Gaw Kadal, Budshah Chowk, Red cross road, Exchange road, Koker Bazar and nearby areas. Traffic on Maisuma and Haji Masjid routes was diverted. Vehicles were plying normally on Budshah Chowk. (UNI)
NIA raid: SFs fire pellets, burst teargas shells to disperse demonstrators in Srinagar
