Srinagar, August 27 (KMS): In occupied Kashmir, the unprovoked firing of Indian troops on peaceful protesters, continuation of curfew, arrest of pro-liberation leaders and assault on media persons have been widely condemned.  

 The leaders who have been arrested and taken to undisclosed destinations include Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Syed Ali Gilani, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Aasia Andrabi, Mohammad Ashraf Sehrai and Shakeel Ahmad Bakshi. People in the occupied territory have expressed apprehensions about safety of the leaders in view of the recent assassination of the APHC leader, Shaikh Abdul Aziz.

The Hurriyet leaders, Maulana Abbas Ansari, Masarat Alam Butt, Agha Syed Hassan Al-Moosvi and Muhammad Salim Nanaji in their separate statements pointed out that Kashmiris were suffering immensely from severe shortage of supplies and essentials due to the continued imposition of curfew. They urged India to lift curfew and release illegally detained Hurriyet leaders and activists without any further delay. Similar views were expressed by the Executive Directors of Kashmir Centres in Washington and London, Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai and Professor Nazir Ahmed Shawl.

Brussels based International Federation of Journalists and New York based Committee to Protect Journalists in their statements condemned the attack on journalists in occupied Kashmir and asked the authorities to protect them while covering the ongoing events.

Meanwhile, curfew continued in all the ten districts of Kashmir Valley for the fourth day, today. The troops raided in Srinagar, the houses of the APHC leaders, Shabbir Ahmed Shah and Nayeem Ahmed Khan, vandalising the house hold goods.

In Handwara, hundreds of people defying curfew staged a massive protest demonstration against the forced entry of troops in the houses of civilians. Indian troops resorted to baton charge and fired numerous tear smoke canisters to disperse the protesters injuring at least six persons. The troopers beat up and injured the bakers, who tried to open their shops, in the downtown areas of Srinagar.

Troops martyr five innocent Kashmiris

Indian troops, in their fresh act of state terrorism, martyred four innocent Kashmiri youth at Ningli Nallah in Baramulla. A Junior Commissioned Officer and a trooper were killed, a youth martyred while three troopers injured in an ongoing clash at Chinnor area of Jammu city. The troops killed three civilians during a shoot out in the same area. Another trooper was killed in an attack in Trehgam area of Kupwara.