Srinagar:
The violence in Kashmir continued on Monday with four more people being killed in clashes raising the total number of deaths over the last four days to 23. Protests were held despite the curfew.
The violence does not seem to ebb; a police station in Rajpura has been set on fire. All 5 buildings of the police station have been gutted and 20 people are believed to be injured.
Protests escalated despite the curfew clampdown in Srinagar. With people taking to the streets, violence erupted in Kupwara, Pulwama, Budgam and Kulgam. The mob also set Block Development Office, police post, higher secondary school on fire in Kakpura area of Pulwama district.
Protesters set the Tehsil office on fire and attacked a railway station. Breaking the morning calm, areas like Budgam were reported tense despite curfew.
The Valley saw night-long violence with protesters setting government buildings on fire in protest against eight people being killed in clashes with security forces on Sunday.
Srinagar is under curfew, but the city has been calm this morning.
There are reports of some mosques being used to exhort people to come out on the streets to protest.
As the protests get more intense, women are now coming out on to the streets leading the protests and even pelting stones. This is cause for concern as security forces get hampered when women are at the forefront.
The protesters are also now specifically targeting the state police. A police camp was set on fire yesterday resulting in an explosion that killed four people and left many injured. Government property was consistently targeted through the night.
Also of worry is the fact that the orchestrated protests have spread to south Kashmir, which would hit the highways and would affect the movement of essential goods as well as that of the security forces.