Normal life remained disrupted on third consecutive day on Thursday in Kashmir Valley due to restrictions and strike against the killing of four civilians in security forces firing in frontier Kupwara district on Tuesday.
While the strike was called by hardline Hurriyat and JKLF, authorities imposed curfew in the areas falling under the jurisdiction of six police stations of old Srinagar and Kupwara, Langate, Magam and Handwara town, where two youth and a woman were killed in protests on Tuesday. Subsequently, another youth was killed during protests on Wednesday in the same area.
The killings triggered widespread protests and clashes in Handwara and Kupwara in which dozens of people including policemen were injured.
On Thursday authorities suspended mobile internet services across Kashmir valley to block rumour mongering on social networking sites. Though mobile service providers remained tight-lipped about suspension of the services, a senior police official said the step was taken to check spreading of rumours.
He said the suspension was a temporary measure and services would be restored as soon as the situation normalise.
Police also denied entry of journalists into curfew-bound Handwara town. Reports said the town has been garrisoned and police and paramilitary forces in riot gear are manning barricades erected at the entry points of Handwara.
Reports said public transport remained off the roads in most parts of the valley while private transport was plying in some areas of Srinagar. Most of the government offices witnessed thin attendance while educational institutions remained closed.
In Srinagar, security forces closed all the exit and entrance points to old Srinagar with barbed wire and blocked road junctions with armored vehicles. Civil Lines areas of the city also witnessed complete shutdown with heavy deployment of forces on roads, reports added.
Reports from other district headquarters said that business establishments remained shut to protest the killings. Chairmen of both factions of Hurriyat, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Syed Ali Shah Geelani were put under house arrest while JKLF chairman, Muhammad Yasin Malik continues to remain in police custody. He was arrested three days back.
A police spokesman said situation remained normal throughout Kashmir. “However, isolated minor incidents stone pelting were reported from some area in which there were no reports of any injury to anybody so far,” he said.
Published 15 April 2016, 03:47 IST