Separatists' strike in Kashmir valley hits normal life

A strike called by separatists on Sunday affected normal life in Kashmir Valley on Sunday. The strike was called to protest the killing of a civilian in firing by security forces after militants attacked an army camp in Kupwara district on Thursday. Most of the shops, other business establishments and fuel stations were shut.

Public transport was sparse but private cars, cabs and auto-rickshaws were plying normally in many areas of the city. The weekly flea market was open as many vendors set up their stalls on the TRC Chowk-Batamaloo axis along the city centre of Lal Chowk, officials said.

They said the effect of the strike was accentuated because of holiday. Similar reports were received from most other district headquarters of the Valley. Separatists, including chairmen of both factions of Hurriyat Conference -- Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq -- and JKLF chief Muhammad Yasin Malik, had on Friday called for a Valley-wide shutdown against the killing of Mohammad Yousuf Bhat in security forces firing on protesters on Thursday.

The protesters were demanding the bodies of two militants who were killed in retaliatory firing after they attacked an artillery unit of an army garisson at Panzgam. Three soldiers, including an officer, were killed by the militants in the pre-dawn attack before they were neutralized by the security forces.