IANS/Srinagar


At least three people, including a woman, were injured in clashes that broke out yesterday between a mob and security forces after Eid prayers in Srinagar, police said.
Clashes also took places in a few other places in Jammu and Kashmir where mobs threw stones at the security forces.
Clashes between youths and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel erupted in Sekidafar and Safa Kadal areas of Srinagar’s old city area immediately after the Eid al-Fitr prayers ended in the morning.
Some youths wearing masks waved the Pakistani and Islamic State (IS) flags, after which the security forces chased them away.
Police said three people, including a woman, sustained minor injuries after they were hit by tear gas used by the security forces to bring the mob under control.
Processions were taken out, and stone throwing was also reported in Sopore and Baramulla towns.
Protesters also threw stones at Hyderpora and Barzalla in Srinagar city, in Sogam and Krakpora villages of Kupwara district, in Bogam village of Kulgam district and in Anantnag town.
The protesters kept regrouping each time the security forces dispersed them.
Around 150 protesters threw stones at police in Lal Chowk area of Anantnag.
The situation returned to normal in all the areas in the afternoon, a police officer said.
Separatist leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Yasin Malik were placed under house arrest in Srinagar earlier in the day.
In order to maintain law and order, the separatist leaders were not allowed to join the congregational Eid prayers.
Meanwhile, with ceasefire violations increasing border tension between India and Pakistan along the Line of Control in Jammu, no exchange of sweets and greetings took place between the two sides on the occasion of Eid at the international border check post at Wagah.
Officers of the Border Security Force (BSF) and Pakistan Rangers did not follow the tradition of the past few years to offer sweets to each other.
The tradition was broken once last October but sweets were exchanged on some other occasions.
BSF Deputy Inspector General, Amritsar sector, M F Farooqui said: “No exchange of sweets took place today on Eid.”
Farooqui said the exchange of sweets is decided at a meeting of officers of both border guards.
“This time, the matter was discussed but we did not get any positive response from that (Pakistan) side. We also did not pursue the matter,” he said.
However, on March 23 this year, the Pakistan side offered sweets to their Indian counterparts on the occasion of Pakistan Day.
Elsewhere in Punjab and Haryana, thousands converged on mosques to offer prayers and celebrate Eid.
In Chandigarh, hundreds of Muslims converged on the Sector 20 Jama Masjid and other mosques to mark the occasion and greet each other.
In Punjab, the Muslim population is concentrated in the Malerkotla area near Patiala, 110km from Chandigarh, and in Gurdaspur district.
In Haryana, Mewat district in south Haryana has sizeable Muslim population.
The festival marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan was also celebrated in other parts of India.