Curfew-like restrictions imposed in parts of Kashmir

SRINAGAR, MAY 24 (PTK): Curfew-like restrictions were imposed in parts of Srinagar and South Kashmir on Friday to prevent protests against the killing of militant commander Zakir Musa in Tral yesterday.

Eyewitness said that police and security forces were deployed in in various parts of the Srinagar city and South Kashmir areas. They had erected barricades at various intersections to restrict the movement of the people, said a motorist who was stopped at Hyderpora and Parraypora in uptown Srinagar.

All schools, colleges and universities were closed as a “precautionary measure”, divisional commissioner Kashmir announced yesterday. Kashmir University and IUST Awantipora had postponed all the exams scheduled today.

Controller examinations, Kashmir University, Prof Farooq Ahmad Mir said the B.Ed exam which was supposed to be conducted today had been rescheduled and will be held on May 26 (Sunday). “The time ane venue for the exams will be same,” he said.

He further said the backlog exams of first semester-2015 batch had also been postponed. “The fresh dates for the exam Will be notified later, separately,” he said.

The body of Ansar Gazwatul Hind (AGH) chief Zakir Musa who was killed in a gunfight last night in Tral area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district was handed over to his family for last rites today morning.

The encounter broke out after a joint team of the army and the SOG launched a cordon-and-search operation in Dadsara village last evening amid intelligence reports about the presence of one of the Kashmir’s most wanted militant commander Zakir Musa.

A police officer said that Musa turned down offer to surrender and fired UBGL grenades and opened fire which was retaliated leading to a gunfight.

The gunfight raged for several hours and ended early Friday, resulting into death of Musa.

Spontaneous protests had broken out in Shopian, Pulwama, Awantipora and downtown Srinagar, with people raising slogans in favor of Musa.  (PTK)