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Protesters, police clash in Srinagar

By Shujaat Bukhari

SRINAGAR SEPT. 13. Srinagar today witnessed pitched battles between hundreds of people and police following the killings of two youngsters allegedly by the Border Security Force. Twelve persons were injured in these clashes and most parts of civil lines observed a complete shutdown.

People took to the street early in the morning and pelted stones to enforce a shutdown in protest against the killing of two youths Bilal Ahmed Sheikh and Nazir Ahmed Dar in the tense Maisuma locality on Thursday evening.

The residents said that a BSF contingent chased the two, caught hold of them and killed them. These killings took place at the instigation of Mohammad Ayub, worker of the less-known political group Rashtriya Pravartan Dal. Ayub had left his vehicle for repairs at Nazir's mechanical workshop but refused to pay the charges. This resulted in a verbal quarrel between the two. Ayub later went to the BSF camp in Kralkhud and complained that the duo had threatened him not to contest elections from Kulgam.

Residents said that the BSF reached the area, dragged the two men and showered them with bullets at a point blank range, resulting in their instant death. As people took to the street protesting against the killings, the police resorted to lathicharge and later burst tear gas shells. All the shops remained closed and the traffic was off the road.

The ding-dong battles between protesters and police continued the whole day.

The DIG BSF, R.S. Bhullar, however, had a different tale to tell.

He said that on the complaint of Ayub that the duo was threatening him not to contest the elections, Bilal and Nazir were arrested. When the two were being taken in a BSF vehicle they were killed in a militant attack.

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