Heavy stone pelting resumes in Srinagar

Security forces used tear smoke and baton charges to disperse stone pelting protestors in several localities of the bandh hit Jammu and Kashmir capital Srinagar on Wednesday.

A senior police officer said groups of youth indulged in heavy stone pelting on the security forces and passing vehicles in Maisuma, Batmallo, Nowgam and Wanbal localities of the capital city.

He said in the old city localities of Nawab Bazzar, Nawakadal, Ali Kadal and Soura mobs also indulged in heavy stone pelting on security forces on Wednesday evening who responded by using tear smoke and baton charges. 

A police spokesman said security forces 'exercised restraint' while dealing with the situation.

A shutdown was observed in Kashmir on Wednesday on a call given by the hard-line separatist leade Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

Wednesday's shutdown was part of Geelani's weekly protest calendar that he has been issuing in Srinagar for the past over four months.

Shops, businesses were shut and public transport was off the roads. However, private transport was seen plying in the summer capital.

The shutdown will be resumed on Saturday as Geelani has asked people to resume normal life for next two days. He withdrew the strike call on Friday in response to an appeal by the local non-Muslim community in Valley.

 The local Hindus and Sikhs appealed the separatist leader who is spearheading the over four month long unrest in Kashmir 'to withdraw the strike call for November 5 so that they could celebrate the Diwali festival without any hindrance'.