Fresh violence in Kashmir has claimed two lives and left 19 others injured in alleged firing by security forces in Pattan and Anantnag towns of the northern state of Jammu and Kashmir even as curfew was relaxed in parts of Srinagar, the hub of ongoing protests in the Valley which entered 100th day on Saturday. A youth was killed and four others sustained injuries as security forces allegedly opened fire on a group of persons at Palhalan in Pattan area, 32 kms from here, in Baramulla district of the northern state of Jammu and Kashmir. Although local residents alleged that the firing by security forces was unprovoked, a police spokesman said a mob tried to block the Srinagar-Baramulla National Highway and started heavy stone pelting on security forces. "As security forces tried to control the situation, three persons were injured," he was quoted as saying by the Press Trust Of India (PTI). Clashes erupted in south Kashmir Anantnag town, 52 kms from here, after the body of a 10-year-old boy, who was missing since Monday, was fished out from river Jhelum, official sources said. Thousands of residents of Nathpora in Khanabal and adjoining areas in Anantnag defied curfew and took out a procession with the body of the boy, Maroof Ahmad Nath. Maroof had jumped into the river when protestors were allegedly being chased by security men during a clash. The protestors raised slogans while a section of the crowd started throwing stones targeting the security forces, the sources said. The security personnel first lobbed tear smoke shells and then allegedly opened fire, resulting in injuries to 15 people. One of the injured persons, identified as Nooruddin Dagga, succumbed at a hospital. Curfew was, however, relaxed for four hours in southern and eastern parts of Srinagar today, providing much-needed relief to the people in these areas after six days, a police spokesman said.
