Clashes erupted on Monday in Arwani area of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district after the government forces laid a cordon-and-search-operation (CASO) in the area.
Eyewitnesses said that as the cordon was being laid the youth came out of their homes and pelted the forces with stones to disrupt the operation. The forces, they said, fired tear smoke shells to disperse the protesting youth.
They said that the area witnessed a shutdown soon after the clashes began.
A police official said the CASO was laid in Arwani area of Bijbehara following inputs about the presence of militants in the area.
He said that the search operation was jointly launched by Special Operations Group (SOG) of the state police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the army.
Clashes were going on in the area when this report was being filed.
