Srinagar: Five persons were killed in firing by security forces in Bandipura and Srinagar areas during protests against action by law-enforcing agencies even as curfew was clamped in the entire Kashmir Valley in view of the grim situation.

While three persons were killed and at least eight others injured in the firing in Aribal in Watlab area of Bandipura district, two protesters died and another was wounded as police opened fire in Lasjan on the outskirts of Srinagar, official sources said.

The five were killed during protests against yesterday s police firing in which four people, including senior Hurriyat leader Sheikh Abdul Aziz, had lost their lives. The protesters had yesterday tried to march towards Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as part of a call given by separatists and others to end the "economic blockade" of the Valley in the wake of the Amarnath land stir in Jammu region.

As the situation in the Valley deteriorated, the authorities extended curfew to all the districts of the Kashmir Valley, a police spokesman said. Curfew had been imposed in Srinagar district and along a 40-kilometre stretch from Sheeri to Uri town in Baramulla district yesterday.

In another incident in Srinagar, seven policemen, including an IPS officer, were injured this morning when the service weapon of the personal security officer of PDP leader Javid Mustafa Mir allegedly went off accidentally during protests in Lasjan area of Srinagar.

Sub-Divisional Police Officer (Saddar area) Mahesh Kumar was among seven policemen injured when the weapon of Mir s PSO went off during the protests, the sources said. Kumar was hit in the leg and has been rushed to a hospital along with the other injured policemen.
Source : PTI