Strict curfew across Kashmir to prevent anti-India rally

Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar, referring to the report, said the curfew is in force only in certain areas of three districts in the Valley.

This was the second death since Tuesday evening after a protester was shot dead on the Srinagar-Jammu highway.

“They keep shifting from one place to another but efforts are on to nab them as soon as possible”, he said.

Severe clashes were reported across the Valley – from Shopian, Kangan, Anantnag, Budgam, Pulwama, Tral and Sopore – leaving close to 150 wounded, according to reports. However, nobody was in the house.

Violence erupted in at least two dozen places after police and paramilitary soldiers intercepted the protesters and fired tear gas and shotgun pellets, police and witnesses said. A police official said the security agencies were using video footage and photographs to identify the “trouble mongers and instigators” among the protestors.

Earlier in the day, authorities had extended curfew to more areas of Kashmir to thwart a planned march by separatists to Hazratbal shrine.

The police on Thursday arrested around 500 people from across Kashmir as a pre-emptive step to curb street protests in the Valley.

But the deceased’s family and locals alleged that he was killed by the security forces.

SRINAGAR, India (AP) – Fresh protests flared in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Wednesday following the overnight killings of two civilians by government forces amid a almost monthlong security lockdown and protest strikes.

Schools, colleges, petrol pumps banks and businesses have remained closed.

Kumar said that 28 government establishments were set ablaze and 49 such establishments were damaged and due to the violent incidents initially curfew was imposed in 10 districts out of 22 districts of the state.

The number of innocent Kashmiris martyred by Indian security forces has crossed sixty-five after twenty-eight days of protests. Mobile Internet services continued to remain snapped in the entire valley where the postpaid mobile telephony services have been restored across all networks.

Separatists have extended the protest shutdown call till August 5 asking people to resume normal activities after 6 p.m. each day.