Curfew, shutdown continues in Kashmir

Srinagar: The ongoing curfew in most places of the Kashmir Valley continued on Thursday as the separatists decided to extend the protest shutdown for another two days. "Curfew shall remain in force in all the major towns of the ten districts in the Valley and old city areas of Srinagar city," says a senior official of the provincial administration. Curfew has been imposed in the Valley since July 9 to control large scale violence following the death of top Hizbul Mujahideen commander, Burhan Wani, 22, who was killed in a gunfight on July 8 along with two of his associates. One protester identified as Hilal Ahmad Shah was killed in Anantnag district's Harnag area on Wednesday when an unruly mob surrounded an army vehicle and tried to torch it. The death toll in the six-day long spate of violence has increased to 37. An irate mob also attacked the vehicle of a senior police officer also in Anantnag district on Wednesday, but the situation was quickly controlled without any casualties. Also on Wednesday, separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani and Miwaiz Umer Farooq were taken into preventive custody for some time after they attempted to come out of their homes in Srinagar city where they have been placed under house arrest. "Both Geelani and the Mirwaiz were taken back to their homes where they continued to remain under house arrest," a police official said. Train services between north Kashmir's Baramulla town and Jammu region's Bannihal town also remained suspended for the sixth day on Thursday. All exams scheduled up to July 17, have been postponed as authorities said fresh dates for holding these exams would be announced later.