Clashes continue in India-controlled Kashmir, separatist leader arrested

SRINAGAR, India-controlled Kashmir, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) - Clashes in Srinagar city, the summer capital of India-controlled Kashmir, continued for the second consecutive day Saturday, police said.

The clashes broke out early morning with protesters hurling brick pieces and stones on the contingents of the police and paramilitary troopers. Police fired dozens of tear smoke shells to disperse the agitating youth.

On Friday at least 100 people including 59 policemen and 12 photojournalists were hurt in the day-long clashes.

One of the protesters sustained bullet injury and is undergoing treatment, doctors said.

The clashes were triggered amid shutdown called by hard line separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani to protest the "illegal occupation of land by the Indian army" in the region.

Geelani was prevented by police from addressing a rally in the old city that intensified further protests. Late in the evening he was arrested by police.

According to Geelani, Indian army and paramilitary troopers have occupied 138,057 hectares of land across the region.

Amid clashes a shopping complex caught fire in which several shops were gutted. The locals alleged that the complex caught fire after a stray smoke shell fired by police exploded inside the building.

"A shop in a shopping complex caught fire but the stone pelters did not allow the fire tenders to reach the shop and extinguish the fire. The fire was brought under control later on," read the police statement.