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7 killed in police firing, curfew imposed in Anantnag

Indefinite curfew was imposed in Anantnag town and some adjoining villages this afternoon after police firing on demonstrators left seven persons dead and scores injured.

Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Freedom Party chief Shabir Ahmad Shah was arrested in Anantnag while the acting chairman of the All-Parties Hurriyat Conference, Moulvi Omar Farooq, was put under house arrest.

Official sources said police at Barakpora, in the south Kashmir district of Anantnag, resorted to firing after repeated teargassing and baton-charges failed to disperse demonstrators demanding action against the security forces who allegedly killed five villagers on March 25 and labelled them terrorists responsible for the massacre of 35 Sikhs at Chatti Singhpora.

Sources said five persons were killed on the spot while two others died on the way to hospital. Scores of others injured in the firing were admitted to different hospitals in Anantnag and Srinagar.

Official sources said curfew was imposed in the entire town and adjoining villages as a precautionary measure.

Director General of Police Gurbachan Jagat and senior civil and police officers have rushed to Barakpora.

Earlier, police arrested JKPDFP chief Shah with some of his associates when they staged a dharna (sit-in) in the town demanding an inquiry into the killing of five 'villagers'.

A spokesman of the APHC said acting chairman Farooq was put under house arrest and nobody was being allowed to meet him since this morning.

Security forces on March 25 claimed to have killed five extremists responsible for the March 20 massacre in Chatti Singhpora.

But villagers contested the claim and said all five were innocent civilians.

Anantnag and adjoining villages have been observing a hartal (general strike) for the last one week in protest against the killings.

UNI

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