Srinagar: Two days after 21-year-old Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani was shot dead, Jammu and Kashmir continued to be on high alert as the Centre roped in additional CRPF teams to quell any violence and unrest that broke out in the Kashmir valley and claimed more than 14 lives.
Widespread mob violence and clashes left 14 people dead and 126, including 96 security forces personnel, injured even as curfew was clamped across the Valley and mobile internet services suspended to contain the fallout of gunning down of Wani.
Three policemen were also missing after a large mob attacked a police station, set it ablaze and used its weaponary to shoot and injure three cops, police said.
Amid the protests, militants attacked a police station in Pulwama, which was thwarted by the security forces.
In view of the volatile situation, Amarnath Yatra was also suspended, with police saying it will be resumed "as soon as it is possible to ensure security of yatris".
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti appealed for calm while expressing "profound" grief and agony over the deaths during the protests and asked security forces to avoid use of disproportionate force for crowd control.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said Centre is working with the state government to bring normalcy in the Valley. He also expressed "deep anguish" over the "loss of precious lives in the incidents of violence" in Kashmir and appealed for calm.
As Burhan, the poster boy of Hizbul Mujahideen militant outfit, was laid to rest in his native place Tral, violent mobs attacked installations of police and paramilitary forces at various places in the Valley and set ablaze several buildings including three police installations, as a result of which three cops were missing.
Burhan's funeral was attended by thousands of people. There was no deployment of security forces in Tral and adjoining areas to avoid a confrontation with the people coming to participate in the funeral.
"We have had a very difficult day today," said ADGP (CID) of J&K Police SM Sahai while describing the situation "bad in certain segments", "not critical" in areas like north Kashmir and under control in Srinagar.
The militants are trying to "superimpose their attacks" on public protests, he said, while informing that there was also a militant attack on District Police Lines in Pulwama which the security forces thwarted.
(With additional information from PTI)
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