Normal life was hit in Kashmir Valley due to separatists’ call for shutdown against recent killings in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district even as the authorities imposed curfew-like restrictions in several volatile pockets of Bijbehara, Anantnag, Shopian and Pulwama towns.
Joint Resistance Front headed by three prominent separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik had called for a daylong shutdown in Kashmir against the killing of four militants and two civilians in an encounter and subsequent clashes between local protesters and the security forces in Kulgam district on Sunday. The situation in Bijbehara, Anantnag, Kulgam and Shopian districts was reported tense but under control.
Reports said that four persons were injured during clashes in Redwani area of Qaimoh tehsil of Kulgam district. Villagers staged protests in several pockets of the district despite curfew-like restrictions. Clashes between the protesters and the security forces were reported from Palhallan area of Pattan in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
Heavy deployment of police and paramilitary personnel was made in all the sensitive areas in southern districts and Srinagar even as there was no restriction on the movement of people elsewhere in the Valley.
Meanwhile, the normal life remained affected across the Valley due to shutdown called by the joint separatist leadership.