Lockdown in J&K, separatists call for strike

Srinagar: The security forces in riot gear are enforcing a lockdown in summer capital Srinagar and other major towns of Kashmir Valley as part of tough measures taken by the authorities to contain widespread protests and violence triggered by the killing of Hizbul-Mujahideen commander Subzar Ahmed Bhat in an encounter in Tral area of southern Pulwama district on Saturday.

Elsewhere in the Muslim-majority Valley, life has been brought to a standstill due to a two-day strike from Sunday called by an alliance of key separatist leaders-Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik. It has also asked the people to march on Tral on Tuesday to show solidarity with the families of Bhat and his accomplice Faizan Muzaffar, who was also killed during the 16-hour-long gun battle in Soimoh village of Tral.

While most of the separatist leaders and prominent activists have been placed under house arrest, Malik was on Sunday picked up from his Maisuma residence here and taken to Srinagar’s central prison. While being arrested, he told reporters, “We are not even allowed to mourn killings of martyrs. The Indian (security) forces have been given free hand to kill innocent Kashmiris”.

Malik had on Saturday relocated to Tral where he, while addressing the mourners, paid “homage” to slain militants.

The 30-year-old Bhat had succeeded Burhan Wani, the popular Internet-savvy commander of Kashmir’s frontline indigenous militant outfit, whose killing by security forces on July 8 last year had pushed the Kashmir Valley into worst turmoil in decades. In the five-month long turbulence more than eighty civilians and two policemen had died and thousands injured, mainly in security forces’ firings and other actions, besides leaving behind a trail of destruction of infrastructure. Also, over 4,000 security personnel were injured in stone-pelting incidents and mob violence.

On Sunday, thousands of people attended the funeral of Bhat near his native village Rathsuna in Tral, 36-km south of here, despite security restrictions. The people from dozens of neighbouring villages defied restrictions to relocate to Tral, reports said, adding that in view of the swelling crowds Namaz-e-Jinaza or funeral prayer was held seven times. Bhat was laid to rest at a local “martyrs” cemetery amid chanting of pro-aazadi and pro-Islam slogans, the witnesses said.

Earlier on Saturday, at least, one person was killed and scores others were injured in clashes with security forces as many parts of the Valley erupted following Bhat’s killing.

In view of heightened tensions and widespread disturbances, the authorities immediately imposed curfew or curfew-like restrictions in seven police stations areas of Srinagar and other major towns. Also mobile telephony on both pre-paid and post-paid phones and outgoing call facility on pre-paid mobile phones have been suspended to restrain the “spread of rumours” and use of social media to provoke violence.

The suspension of the Internet came a day after the state government lifted a month-long ban on atleast 22 social networking websites.

Bhat along with three other militants was trapped in two residential houses when the security forces launched an operation on Friday evening after a patrol party of the Army’s 42 Rashtriya Rifles came under fire at Hurdimir outside Soimoh village of Tral. While Bhat and Faizan, a 15-year-old local youth who had joined the Hizb ranks recently, were killed in the encounter during which two residential houses were torched or blown up by the security forces, the two other militants fled the village after they succeeded in breaking the security dragnet, the locals said.

Spontaneous clashes erupted in several parts of the Valley after the news of Bhat’s killing broke.  In Tral itself, one person identified as Moulvi Aaqib was killed and 19 others were injured in security forces’ firing on violent protesters near the encounter site. The police, however, said that the slain civilian was caught in crossfire between militants and security forces. The protests later spread to various parts of the Valley, including summer capital Srinagar, leaving scores injured.

The police on Sunday said that six incidents of stone pelting were reported from Pulwama, Kulgam, Shopian and Sopore till the afternoon whereas the situation elsewhere in the Valley remained “peaceful and under control”. It also said, “In order to create disturbances, miscreants at these places assembled on roads and pelted stones on police and security forces deployment and also on the vehicular traffic”.

It added that in Pulwama, a group of miscreants pelted stones also on 182 CRPF camp at Tahab. “The police and security forces used maximum restraint while dealing with the situation at these places and miscreants were chased away.”