MUZAFFARABAD, Feb 21: At least four Kashmiri refugees were injured when police resorted to firing and pelting stones during a clash on Thursday, witnesses said.

The clash erupted when the police tried to stop a procession of the refugees settled in Kamsar camp, 5km north of here. The refugees had taken out the procession to protest the “continuous” police raids in their camps in pursuit of the unknown culprits involved in alleged theft of telephone cables.

A leader of the Kamsar camp refugees, Raja Izhar Khan, told Dawn that police had approached him about a month ago suspecting the involvement of the refugees in cutting and theft of the telephone wires, but he had told them that “none of the refugees was involved in such an offence.”

On Tuesday, some special branch personnel went to the camp in search of one Mumtaz and were told that there were three people named Mumtaz there. The houses of the three were searched, but nothing was recovered.

On Thursday, at least 10 police personnel, led by the station house officers of the police stations of Muzaffarabad city and Kahori village, arrived to carry out a thorough search of the camp.

“Without asking whether they had obtained search warrants from a magistrate, I allowed them to carry out the task lest they might not believe that we had anything to hide,” Izhar Khan said.

He said police formed three groups and searched all the houses but could not find anything.

The police action evoked severe anger among the refugees and 300 to 400 of them took out a procession in protest. They intended to go to the office of the deputy commissioner, but as they reached near Chehla Bandi locality, a police party stopped them.

A heated argument took place between the two sides which turned into a clash, during which both sides took positions and pelted stones at each other.

Police also resorted to firing. A refugee, Nurullah Lone, 52, received bullet wounds in his thigh and was removed to the combined military hospital by the locals. Three other refugees, Ayaz Khan, Younas Butt and Bilal Ahmed, were injured with stones and were provided first aid at the hospital, whereas Mr Lone was admitted.

Police claimed the refugees had also fired, but it could not be confirmed from independent sources. City Police Station SHO Riaz Abbasi maintained that it was yet to be found “whose firing had injured the refugee.”

There was no report of any injury to policemen.

As the news of the clash reached the camp, several women came out and blocked the road. However, they were persuaded by their elders and residents to lift the blockade.

The Muzaffarabad additional deputy commissioner (general) later visited the camp to pacify the refugees. It was learnt that Deputy Commissioner Dr Mehmoodul Hassan and SSP Adalat Khan would also visit the camp on Friday.

Kamsar is one of the 15 camps the AJK government has established to rehabilitate around 18,000 refugees, who crossed the Line of Control after 1990 to escape Indian repression. The camp is home to around 1,800 people of 333 families.