Curfew in several parts of Kashmir, normal life hit

Normal life was affected in Kashmir for the third consecutive day on Wednesday because of the curfew in several parts of the valley to prevent deterioration of law and order in the wake of killing of a youth allegedly in army firing in Baramulla.

Curfew was clamped last night in eight police station jurisdictions of the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir and north Kashmir's Baramulla and Sopore towns, a police spokesman said.

Police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed in large numbers in vulnerable areas of the city and other parts of the valley to maintain law and order, the spokesman said.

The decision to impose curfew was taken at a high level meeting on Tuesday night as protests engulfed many parts of the valley against the killing of Tahir Rasool, allegedly in army firing in Baramulla town.

Rasool was killed during protests against alleged highhandedness of the army.

The army has claimed that its personnel were surrounded by a mob of around 200 persons and the situation had turned life threatening for the soldiers.

It also claimed that the soldiers had fired warning shots in air and could not have caused death. The army, while ordering an internal inquiry, also sought a detailed probe by the police into the incident to find out the truth.

Although there was no call for shutdown by the separatist groups, a spontaneous shutdown was observed in areas where curfew has not been imposed.

Shops and business establishments remained closed while public transport remained off the roads. At least six persons were injured in the late evening clashes between protestors and law enforcing agencies in the city and other parts of the Valley, official sources said.