Kashmir crisis: School bus with 35 kids stoned; Shiv Sena demands Prez rule

At least four civilians were injured, one of them critically, in clashes with the security forces near a gunfight site in Shopian district

Kashmir Crisis : Two children were injured on Wednesday when a group of miscreants attacked a school bus, carrying 35 students, with stones in Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian district, police said. A class 2 student suffered a head injury when the school bus carrying him was attacked by stone pelters in militant-infested Zawoora village of South Kashmir on Wednesday morning, triggering angry reactions from Chief Minister Mehbooba Muftiand other political leaders.“The injured children were shifted to a hospital where doctors referred one of them to Srinagar for specialised treatment,” the official said, according to news agency IANS. 

Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant on Wednesday demanded imposition of the President’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir, claiming a “miserable failure” of law and order in the state, where a school bus was attacked by stone pelters in militant-affected Shopian district. The Sena’s ally BJP is the junior partner in the PDP- led government in the border state.The Congress termed the situation as “very serious” where stones were pelted at a school bus and demanded Home Minister Rajnath Singh make a statement on the overall scenario in the state.

The police has taken cognisance of the incident and a hunt for the miscreants is underway.Police said a private bus of Rainbow International School at Narapora area of  Shopian

was attacked by stone pelters in Zavooora area, injuring the student identified as Rehan Gorsai. The injured child was referred to Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital (SMHS) Hospital where doctors attending on him stated his condition to be stable.In a separate incident, at least four civilians were injured, one of them critically, in clashes with the security forces near a gunfight site.The clashes erupted after security forces laid a cordon around Turkawangam village following information about the presence of a group of militants there, but came under fire from the hiding militants sparking off a gunfight, police said.“At this, youth resorted to heavy stone pelting

on the security forces to break the cordon. Tear smoke shells and pellets were used to quell the protests,” a police officer said.Doctors in  Shopian district

hospital said four civilians had reported with injuries at the hospital.“Three injured persons had gunshot injuries. One of them identified as Inayat has sustained critical injuries,” said a doctor.In more violence on Wednesday in Shopian, the house of a ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) MLA was attacked with a petrol bomb.