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Sopore: 3 injured in police-protestor clashes

March 12, 2010 22:10 IST

Three persons were injured, two of them with rubber bullets in post Friday prayer protests in north Kashmir's Sopore town.

A police officer said security forces used batons to disperse stone pelting youths who took to streets after hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani visited Sopore and addressed a rally in the town.

Geelani also distributed relief and rations among the families whose houses were destroyed and damaged during the four day-long gunfight between security forces and militants in the Chinkipora locality of the town last month.

While addressing the rally, Geelani 'advised the youth not to resort to stone pelting and keep their protests peaceful.'

Immediately after he left the town, stone pelting youth clashed with police and paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force prompting them to use batons and teargas.

However, as the stone pelting intensified, security forces fired rubber bullets at the protestors resulting in injuries to two persons.

One more youth was hit by a tear smoke shell. The injured youth were shifted to hospital for treatment.

Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar