SRINAGAR: Kashmir witnessed protests on Saturday evening following the assassination of Hezbollah’s leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut. Thousands of people, mainly from the Shia community, took to the streets across the Kashmir Valley and Kargil, expressing their anger and mourning Nasrallah’s death.
The Hezbollah leader, revered as a symbol of resistance, was killed on Friday in an aerial attack on his headquarters in the Lebanese capital. His death was confirmed by Hezbollah on Saturday, sparking protests in various parts of Kashmir, including Srinagar, Budgam, Magam, Dalina, and Yachgam. Protesters chanted anti-Israel and anti-American slogans, demanding justice and condemning the killing.
Carrying black flags, Alams, and photographs of the slain Hezbollah leader, thousands of demonstrators marched through the streets of Srinagar’s Zadibal, Hassanabad, Sayeda Kadal, Chattabal, Pandrethan, and Shalimar. Many women and children were seen crying, and men were kissing portraits of Nasrallah. The protestors chanted slogans such as, Tere khoon se inquilab aayega (your blood will give birth to a revolution), reflecting the deep grief and anger among the mourners.
In Kargil, a large procession was taken out in solidarity with the Hezbollah leader. Local political, religious, and social organizations jointly called for a shutdown in Kargil and nearby areas on Sunday to mourn Nasrallah’s death.
Several political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir also responded to the news by suspending their ongoing election campaigns. Senior National Conference (NC) leader and Member of Parliament, Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, who was campaigning in the frontier districts of Kupwara, Baramulla, and Bandipore, announced the suspension of his campaign in solidarity with the Hezbollah leader. Mehdi posted on social media platform X, stating, “Calling off my campaign.”
Mehbooba Mufti, former Chief Minister and president of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), also canceled her scheduled election campaign for Sunday. “Cancelling my campaign tomorrow in solidarity with the martyrs of Lebanon & Gaza, especially Hassan Nasrallah. We stand with the people of Palestine & Lebanon in this hour of immense grief & exemplary resistance,” Mufti wrote on X.
This decision comes just days before the final phase of Jammu & Kashmir Assembly elections, with voting set to take place on October 1. The upcoming elections will see polling in 16 seats across north Kashmir.
As protests continued to swell across Srinagar and other parts of the Valley, security forces were put on high alert to prevent any potential unrest. Official sources confirmed that security arrangements were being bolstered in the Kashmir Valley, Jammu city, and parts of the Rajouri-Poonch region to ensure peace and stability in the wake of the assassination.
Kashmir’s chief Muslim cleric and chairman of the Hurriyat Conference, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, also paid tribute to Nasrallah, stating, “Martyrs don’t die,” further echoing the sentiments of resistance and solidarity that reverberated across the region.
Nasrallah had been the leader of Hezbollah for over three decades and was highly revered by Shia Muslims globally. His assassination is being viewed by the community in Kashmir as a direct attack on a symbol of resistance, further inflaming the ongoing tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.
As Kashmir stands in solidarity with Lebanon, many protestors expressed their unwavering support for the Palestinian cause, with Amir Ali, a protestor from Srinagar, stating, “We protested in solidarity with the resistance group that is supporting Palestine and is anti-Israel.”