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Troops 'desecrate' Quran, 16 hurt in clashes
Srinagar (PTI): At least 16 persons were injured when security forces lobbed tear gas shells at a crowd of 15,000 protesting alleged desecration of a holy book at Handwara in the frontier district of Kupwara on Sunday.Villagers of Rangward-Handwara took to streets this morning to register their protest against desecration of the Holy Quran allegedly by security forces who entered a mosque, official sources said. Security forces tried to persuade agitators to disperse but they refused and pelted them with stones. In return, they were teargassed and in the clashes that followed, 16 persons received injuries, the sources said. However, an official spokesman dismissed as false reports of desecration of the Quran. "Reports of desecration of the holy book at the hands of security forces are based on rumours. There is no truth in the reports," he said. The crowd of agitators dispersed after being teargassed and the agitation is now under control, the spokesman said. Posted by: john frum 2008-08-24 |
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