Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Aug 28: In a major crackdown against stone pelters, police today arrested 70 of them while they clashed with police in Nowhatta area of Srinagar's old city during last night as people were observing the Shab-e-Qadr across Kashmir valley.
Today's arrests of stone pelters are largest in a single day in the recent years. Police said that over 300 motorcycle-borne stone pelters attacked Nowhatta police station injuring six policemen. Over 70 attackers were arrested and 10 bikes were seized during the clashes, which lasted for five hours, police said. However, residents claimed some of them are not stone pelters but they were observing Shab-e-Qadr and were picked up after night long attacks on police. People in Masjids across the Kashmir valley were busy in night long prayers to observe Shab-e-Qadr, the holiest night for Muslims. One of the biggest congregations was at Jamia Masjid Srinagar and outside it the stones pelters attacked the police.
Police and security forces were busy facilitating the smooth conduct of prayers at various masjids in the city, immediately rushed to the spot and ding dong battles continued for whole night. Police said that the stone pelters also tossed two petrol bombs on police. Six policemen were injured, two of them seriously. Police said the stone pelters have of late been using motorcycles to throw stones at security forces and fled away quickly.
"The typical practice is that such bikes carry three people, one rides the bike, the man in the middle has stones in his lap and the one at the back hurls them at the security forces. And they move at a menacing speed," police said.
The police station Nowhatta was the main target of the stone pelters in last years summer agitation. The station was attacked several times by the stone throwing youth.
(www.dailyexcelsior.com, 29 Aug. 2011)
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