Tral Sealed

SRINAGAR: Authorities have sealed Tral, the native town of Hizb commander Sabzar Bhat who was killed in an encounter on Saturday with curfew-like restrictions imposed in other areas of the Valley to prevent any protests.

The joint Hurriyat leadership had appealed people to march to Tral today to pay tributes to the two militants killed in the gunfight in Saimoh on Saturday, offer fateha to them and express solidarity with their families.

However, witnesses and reports said all roads leading to Tral were sealed by government forces with concertina wires while armoured vehicles were stationed at major checkpoints to prevent the movement of pedestrians and vehicles.

All the top Hurriyat leaders including Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umer Farooq have been placed under house arrest in the Srinagar city to prevent their participation in the march while the JKLF chief Yasin Malik has been lodged in Srinagar Central Jail.

Restrictions have also been imposed in other parts of the south Kashmir as well as the capital Srinagar to prevent the Hurriyat march with the situation remaining tense in the backdrop of the twin killings.

"Curfew will continue in seven police station areas here, including Rainawari, Khanyar, Nowhatta, M.R.Gunj, Safa Kadal, Kralkhud and Maisuma in the city," District Magistrate of Srinagar Farooq Ahmed Lone said.

A senior police officer said heavy deployment of police and the Central Reserve Police Force in riot gear have been made in parts of the Srinagar city while similar restrictions have been imposed in all sensitive district headquarters and major towns of the Valley,"

As a precautionary measure, the state government yesterday ordered closure of all schools and colleges in Kashmir Valley on Tuesday while some of the exams scheduled today have been postponed in view of the situation. Train services have also remained suspended in the Kashmir Valley for the third consecutive day.

Mobile internet and prepaid telecom services have been banned by the authorities which has caused inconvenience, especially to students and people associated with the tourism industry who rely on the web to keep up with their clients.

(Cover Photograph BASIT ZARGAR)