Curfew-like situation in Kashmir

A curfew-like situation prevailed in Kashmir today as separatists enforced a shutdown while authorities imposed curfew in Sopore town and prohibitory orders in rest of the valley to maintain law and order.

Life in returned to normal in the valley yesterday for several hours after 21 days of strike but the relief was short-lived as protestors again clashed with police.

Authorities brought Sopore town under curfew while prohibitory orders have been imposed in 12 police station areas in Srinagar as a precautionary measure, including Nowhatta, Khanyar, Rainawari, Safakadal, Soura, Batmaloo, Maisuma, Kralkhud and Sonawar, police said.

Heavy deployment has been made in the rest of the valley including Baramulla, 55 kms from here, which witnessed violent clashes in the wake of a controversy over a teenager's death.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Baramulla, Sheikh Mehmood maintained that the youth drowned in the river and denied allegations that he was chased by Special Operations Group personnel and pushed into the river.

The body of the youth, Faizan Rafiq Buhroo, has not been fished out from the river so far.

Deputy Commissioner of Baramulla Bashir Ahmad Bhat said the first priority is to recover the body of the youth. "The circumstances of his drowning are not clear. We have reports that he drowned," he said.

As the news about the drowning of youth spread, people took to streets and fought pitched battles with policemen in several areas of the town.

Hardline faction of Hurriyat Conference headed by jailed leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani had called for the shutdown in the Kashmir valley to protest killing of several youths in the past one month.

The situation in the valley became tense on June 11 when a teenager was killed after he was allegedly hit by a teargas shell at Gani Stadium near Rajourikadal.

The situation worsened on June 26 and the authorities clamped curfew and promulgated prohibitory orders to foil a march, called by the separatists, to Sopore.

As the situation deteriorated further in the wake of killing of three persons in Batmaloo area in Srinagar, army was deployed. On Friday, authorities imposed curfew in several towns to thwart a separatist march to Batmaloo.