Protests in Kashmir over youth’s killing

Carrying the body of a youth who was allegedly killed in firing by security forces, thousands of people walked in protest in Jammu and Kashmir’s Bandipora area Wednesday.

Shouting anti-government and pro-Islamic slogans, about 4,000 protestors carrying the body of a local village youth identified as Hilal Ahmad Dar, 19, marched from Aloosa village, 45 km from here, towards Bandipora town.

According to villagers and the youth’s family, Hilal had left the village mosque after the Ramzan ‘Tarawi’ evening prayers Tuesday when he was shot by security forces. He worked for a cement factory in Srinagar city.

“He was working in a cement factory in Srinagar and had come home six days back. He was not involved in militancy at all,” Hilal’s father Ghulam Mohiuddin Dar said.

Army officials said there was an exchange of gunfire in the area Wednesday. While one guerrilla escaped, another was killed.