Authorities in Kashmir have decided not to allow 'Shab-e-Qadr' and 'Jumat-ul-Vida' congregational prayers at the historic Jamia Masjid in Sringar, a move denounced by mainstream and separatist parties.
Security forces on Sunday intensified their operation to flush out terrorists from the forest area of Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district on the second day of encounter that has left two soldiers and a civilian dead.
'...or go to jail.' 'The government is getting them silenced.'
Protestors in various localities of Srinagar and other towns breached restrictions of curfew imposed by the authorities in the wee hours of Sunday, a day ahead of the sit-in dharna in the historic Lal Chowk called by the separatists. Early on Sunday morning, police vehicles fitted with loud speakers went around Srinagar and other towns announcing the imposition of curfew and asking people to stay indoors.
The Kashmir valley is facing a shortage of electricity at the beginning of the long winter.
Police had to fire dozens of tear smoke shells in an attempt to disperse the stone-pelting students from S P College and the adjoining Women's College on M A Road, officials said.
The move comes after terrorists gunned down two labourers and critically wounded another one in Kulgam in South Kashmir on Sunday evening.
The decision comes in the aftermath of the Pulwama terror attack, besides another attempt to target a Central Reserve Police Force convoy with a car bomb on the highway near Banihal in Ramban district on March 30.
A total of 939 service medals, including 189 for gallantry, was announced by the Union government on Tuesday for personnel of various central and state police forces on the eve of Republic Day.
Abu Hanzala managed to escape after at least two other terrorists attacked the police escort team at SMHS Hospital, killing two cops.
Curfew remained in force in seven police station areas of the city as a precautionary measure for maintaining law and order.
However, there is no restriction on the movement of people anywhere in the valley, the officials said.
Police inspector Masroor Ahmad Wani, who was critically injured when he was shot at by a Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorist while playing cricket in Srinagar in October, died at AIIMS, New Delhi, on Thursday. He leaves behind his wife, who is expecting their first child.
The encounter broke out after three motorcycle-borne terrorists opened fire on CRPF personnel posted at a mobile checking unit in Shalteng in Parampora, officials said. The captured terrorist is Umar Fayyaz of the Islamic State Jammu and Kashmir (ISJK), he said.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
There were no curbs on the movement of people anywhere else in Kashmir.
"The incidents of targeting civilians in Kashmir since a few days are barbaric. Innocent people who are working for the society and have nothing to do with anyone are being targeted," the police chief said.
'My mother feels it will be tough and emotional for her to enter an assembly which has essentially been reduced to a municipality now.' 'My opinion is that even if it is a municipality one cannot cede that space to the BJP.'
Curfew was re-imposed in Srinagar on Monday as another youth injured in last weeks firing succumbed in the hospital on Sunday night. A senior police officer said 20-year old Fida Nabi Lone, who had been critically wounded on August 3 in the Shelteng area of Srinagar died in the Soura Medical Institute on Sunday night despite best efforts of the doctors who had put him on the life-support system after a surgery.
The incident took place at Tumchi Nowpora of Pulwama district in South Kashmir when the labourer, Mukesh Kumar, was in the market to buy some vegetables.
Separatist leader Asiya Andrabi was arrested from her residence in Shoura, Srinagar on Friday for anti-national activities.
Two terrorists including a wanted Lashkar-e-Toiba ultra Salim Parray were killed in two encounters with security forces in Harwan area on the outskirts of the city on Monday, police said.
Fresh clashes erupted on Sunday between security forces and protestors in Srinagar, after the killing of a youth in police firing sparked fresh tension in the Kashmir Valley. Police fired teargas shells and used batons to disperse stone-pelting mobs in Srinagar where authorities deployed police and Central Reserve Police Force personnel in strength to maintain law and order, officials said.
Normal life remained disrupted in Kashmir for the 86th day following abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories.
A militant ambush near the highway of Qazigund town in south Kashmir's Kulgam district left 4 Central Reserve Police Force troopers injured on Saturday evening.
Friday prayers have not been allowed at Jamia Masjid - the grand mosque of Kashmir in downtown (old city area) - for the past over two months now.
Curfew was imposed in Nowhatta, M R Gunj, Safakadal, Khanyar, Rainawari, Nigeen, Lal Bazaar, Zadibal and Parimpora police station areas on Wednesday after sectarian clashes broke out in Hawal area of the city.
The Jammu and Kashmir police on Monday said they have arrested five 'hybrid' terrorists of the proscribed Lashkar-e-Tayiba outfit, three of whom were allegedly involved in the killing of a sarpanch in Baramulla district last month.
Panic gripped Khanyar area of Srinagar on Sunday after an explosion was heard during an election rally of Union Minister and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah.
Suspected terrorists hurled a grenade on Central Reserve Police Force personnel in Kawdara locality of Srinagar on Saturday, resulting in injuries to a 16-year-old boy, police said.
Inspector General of Police Kashmir S P Pani said while a Srinagar resident based in Pakistan had started an online campaign against the slain journalist, three Lashkar militants -- Jatt, Muzaffar Ahmad and Azad Malik carried out the killing.
Tension intensified in Srinagar on Friday after another schoolboy was killed near the famous Nishat Mughal garden on the outskirts of the city.Earlier, 13-year-old Wamik Farooq was killed in Srinagar on Sunday after he was hit by a teargas shell on his head at Rajouri Kadal in Srinagar, during a clash between a mob and the police.The school boy, Zahid Farooq Sheikh, 17, was shot in the chest. He was taken to the local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries today evening.
Two militants were killed on Tuesday in an encounter with security forces on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, about 12 kms from Srinagar, in Pampore, police said.
Among the keenly watched contests are those involving former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav (Kannauj, UP) and Union ministers Giriraj Singh (Begusarai, Bihar), Nityanand Rai (Ujiarpur, Bihar) and Raosaheb Danve (Jalna, Maharashtra).
Security forces on Saturday afternoon rounded up 35 alleged stone-pelters from the Bemina locality of Srinagar on Saturday. Heavy contingents of police and the Central Reserve Police Force put up a cordon around Nundrishi colony in the uptown Bemina locality on Saturday afternoon and asked the residents to come out of their homes. They later picked up 35 persons from the locality and shifted them to the police station.
In an email to PTI, the economist said he was informed of his name being dropped from the panel of speakers at the conference two days ago.
The DGP said the police have resolved not to spare the people behind the act. "It is the resolve of Jammu and Kashmir Police that we are not going to spare these rascals," he said.
Srinagar witnessed two terror attacks on Monday morning in the very heart of the city; three policemen were killed. The attackers remain missing.
About 100 passenger buses and light motor vehicles were allowed to move from Jammu to Srinagar
