Srinagar/March,12: A massive crowd gathered in Soura area in the interiors of Srinagar city to attend the funeral prayers of a militant who was killed along with his two associates in a gunfight wit government forces in Hakoora area of South Kashmir’s Anantnag dstrict early Monday morning.
Law enforcing authorities imposed curfew-like restrictions in parts of old Srinagar city and the education department closed down all schools and colleges in Srinagar city and South Kashmir areas immediately after the news about the killing of militants went viral on social networking sites.
High-speed mobile internet has been suspended in parts Srinagar city and South Kashmir areas in view of the apprehension of protests against the civilian killings.Hurriyat Conference (M) Chairman Mirwaiz Molvi Umar Farooq was immediately place under house-arrest and Yasin Malik the Chairman Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front(JKLF) from his Maisuma residence.
“To prevent him from leading any protest against the militant killings, Yasin Malik was arrested from his home this morning and was lodged at Kothi Bagh police station,” said a JKLF spokesperson. Schools and Colleges were closed amid fears of protests in Ganderbal district also .
A senior police officer said government forces started search in Hakoora area of Anantnag district Sunday night at around 1 am following inputs about presence of militants there, “The search was going on when militants opened fire which was retaliated, sparking an encounter in which three militants were killed,” SSP Anantnag, Altaf Khan, said.
The slain militants were identified as Eesa Fazli, a BTech student of Srinagar who had dropped out of college to reportedly join militant ranks, Syed Owais Shafi, also an engineering student of Kokernag working with Hizbul Mujahideen and a third militant, believed to be a foreigner whose identity is yet to be ascertained.
A police spokesman said arms and ammunition, including AK 47 rifles, pistols and hand grenades were recovered from the site of the gunfight. “It is pertinent to mention that among the killed militants, one was involved in a recent attack on a police guard post at Soura in which one police constable had been killed,” he said.
Soon after the news of the killings spread, hundreds of protesters took to the streets in Anantnag and Kokernag areas of South Kashmir as well as in Srinagar. The protesters shouted pro-freedom and anti-India slogans while demanding the bodies of the slain militants that were later handed over to their families.
Sources and witnesses said clashes broke out between protesters and government forces in Anantnag district while as classwork has been suspended in some educational institutions of the district to thwart any plans of protests by students. Peaceful protests were held at Kashmir University also which has been closed for the day.Howwever erupted in various localities of Soura area in Srinagar .Heavy contingents of police and paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) deployed in the area fired several tear-gas shells to disperse the protesters, triggering further clashes.Witnesses said people clashed with the forces after they marched towards the residence of Fazili in Ahmednagar Soura.
The fresh spree of killings of both militants as well as civilians at the hands of government forces has cast a spell of uncertainty on the thousands of students in the Valley where the authorities resort to shutting down of educational institutions as a measure to prevent any law and order problems.
However, the move has come under severe criticism from civil society activists, prominent citizens as well as the anguished parents who have accused the authorities of “sacrificing” the careers of students and denying them the fundamental right of freedom of speech and expression.
