Even as the Army attempted to enforce a strict curfew in many parts of Jammu on the eve of the visit of the all-party delegation led by Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, protestors continued to throng the streets, with several tense encounters reported between the agitators and law enforcement personnel.

Following the Thursday’s communal tension in Poonch after stones pelted by pro-Amarnath protestors landed on Muslim properties, curfew was clamped on Friday as a precautionary measure, but rumours of major clashes spread to Mandi and Surankote, where people started enforcing a bandh. Throughout the day, pitched battles took place between protestors and cops, but no major casualties were reported.

Early on Friday, protestors assembled and moved towards the bus stand where they smashed windowpanes of buses and pelted cops with stones, after which the administration handed the area to Army which staged flag marches there.

Relaxation was given for Friday prayers between 1 to 3 pm, which passed peacefully, but around 6 pm, protestors defying curfew came out and started a procession from Geeta Bhawan to City Chowk. They threw stones at the cops, which forced the troops to resort to firing of teargas shells and lathicharge. There was also fear of a communal flare-up in Mandi, when a Muslim chemist was injured by agitators trying to shut down his shop.

With people taking out processions and engaging in various acts of aggression, curfew continued to remain in force — although it was relaxed for brief spells — in Jammu, Samba, Udhampur, Rajouri and Kathua as well.

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