Musa Killing: Curfew, shutdown remains in for second consecutive day, normal life collapses

Srinagar: On the second consecutive day, curfew continued in parts of Kashmir on Saturday following the killing of a militant commander Zakir Musa in a gunfight with government forces in Pulwama district on Friday. The internet services were restored Saturday in Central Kashmir districts after remaining snapped for the third consecutive day across the Valley.
Officials said that curbs were in force in parts of Srinagar, Kulgam and Pulwama towns even though mild clashes were witnessed in Pulwama where forces resorted to firing to tear gas shelling to disperse the protestors.
The divisional administration Kashmir had ordered closure of Schools and colleges across Kashmir while as trains on the Baramulla-Banihal line remained off the tracks as a precautionary measure.
“Curfew continued to remain in place in parts of the Kashmir valley today (Saturday) as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order,” a police official said, adding that there was no major law and order issues reported from anywhere across Kashmir and the situation remained peaceful barring a few stray incidents of stone pelting.
In Srinagar, witnesses said strict restrictions were in place in Nowhatta, Rainawari, Khanyar, Safakadal and M R Gung police station areas, while partial restrictions were in force in Maisuma and Kralkhud areas. The city’s commercial hub Lal Chowk wore a deserted look as all the shops, private establishments, remained closed for the day.
Musa, the chief of the Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, was killed in the encounter at Dadsara village of Tral in the south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Friday after forces launched a search operation on late Thursday evening following specific information about the presence of militants there.
The sources said efforts were made to make Musa surrender, but he turned down the request and lobbed grenades on the forces using a launcher, triggering a gunfight in which Musa was killed in the early hours of Friday. His killing had triggered a spontaneous shutdown and protests in the valley.
Meanwhile, most of the shops, fuel stations and other business establishments remained closed in the Valley due to a strike called by Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani against the killing of Musa and a civilian Zahoor Ahmad, a resident of Naira Pulwama who was killed by unidentified gunmen on Thursday.
Zahoor was the brother of active militant of Hizbul Mujahideen Irfan Ahmed. Besides, the train services continued to remain suspended for the second consecutive day Saturday.