Bandh in Kashmir Valley over two civilian deaths

SRINAGAR: Kashmir Valley observed a shutdown on Sunday against the killing of two civilians near the encounter site in Dialgam village of Anantnag district where two Lashkar-e-Taiba militants were killed.

Security forces were deployed on all major roads across Srinagar and other sensitive towns in northern and southern Kashmir.

Besides, restrictions were imposed and barricades erected around at least seven police stations of old city to scuttle any protest gathering.

There was heavy deployment of forces in Anantnag district of southern Kashmir due to the ongoing Amarnath Yatra through Pahalgam, which falls in the sensitive district.

In the past 18 months, according to official figures, at least 20 civilians have been killed near encounter sites during the protests staged to rescue militants from the security cordon.

Separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar and Yasin Malik, who called for the strike, continued to remain under arrest or house detention. The government also detained most of the second-rung Hurriyat leaders who could mobilise people for protests.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, thousands of people attended the funeral of Lashkar-e-Taiba “commander” Bashir Lashkari, who carried a reward of Rs 12 lakh and was involved in killing of at least six policemen including an SHO last month in southern Kashmir.

The government is apprehensive about the week-long protests from July 8 announced by the United Jehad Council from across the border, marking the first death anniversary of Hizb-ulmujahideen “commander” Burhan Wani. The protests, police officials said, could snowball into another political unrest.

As a cautionary measure, the government has announced a ten-day summer vacation from July 6 in all educational institutions, which have been the flashpoint of protests this year.

Kashmir University, where police was expecting a protest gathering on Wani’s death anniversary, has announced holidays from July 7.