fresh violence in Kashmir 12 killed, 70 injured

SRINAGAR: Kashmir was on the boil again as fresh violence claimed 12 lives and left 70 injured on Monday with mobs torching several government properties and a private school.

Five persons were killed and more than 20 others injured in alleged firing by security forces at Tangmarg, 45 kms from here, in Baramulla district after protesters went on a rampage setting ablaze a private school following rumours of desecration of a holy book in the US, officials said.
The school is being run by a minority educational group.
The mob torched Block Development Office, court chamber, tehsildars official vehicle and residence, social welfare office, patwari office and two huts of tourism department, the officials said.

The agitators then attacked a police station and tried to ransack it, prompting the security forces to fire at them. Nearly 20 persons were injured in the firing.

While two youths -- Muddasir Ahmad Parray and Abdul Majid -- were declared dead at the nearby Magam Sub District Hospital, another youth succumbed to injuries at a city hospital here. He has been identified as Abdul Qayoom, officials at the hospitals said.
Two injured youths, identified as Afaq Ahmad Khan and Tariq Ahmad Ganai, were declared dead on arrival at a city hospital.

Jammu and Kashmir Government, meanwhile, banned an international news channel, Press TV, after it aired the report about alleged desecration of the holy book.
"The transmission of Press TV in Jammu and Kashmir has been banned with immediate effect," State Chief Secretary S S Kapur told reporters here.

He said the move was prompted after reports of the alleged sacrilege act. Also the channel was not registered with the Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry as required by law.

In New Delh, the US Ambassador Timothy J Roemer expressed dismay over the violence following reports of "a misguided individual desecrating the Quran".
Two protesters were killed allegedly in security forces action at Humhama in Budgam district, where a group of people attacked a security forces camp.

Ghulam Rasool Tantary was critically injured and succumbed to injuries at a hospital, a police spokesman said. Nine-year-old dil Ahmad Lone also succumbed to injuries.

Residents of Charar-e-Sharief held peaceful protests in the central Kashmir Budgam town in the morning but a section of the crowd attacked a CRPF camp with stones, deputy Commissioner Budgam Rafi Ahmad said.

He said in the retaliatory firing by the CRPF personnel, seven persons were injured. "One of the injured, Danish Nabi, sucumbed to injuries before he could be taken to hospital," the official said.