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Kashmir wakes to boycott by separatists: AFP

Militants on Wednesday imposed a general strike across Kashmir, calling on people to boycott the Republic Day celebrations in Srinagar, officials said.

The All-Parties Hurriyat Conference, an umbrella forum of two dozen Muslim separatist and political organisations, urged the people to observe a 'Black Day' to protest the 51st annivarsary of India becoming a republic.

A Hurriyat spokesman said in Srinagar that the strike was also called to protest "India denying Kashmiris their right to self-determination."

Officials said Hurriyat sympathisers in parts of the Kashmir valley imposed a 'self-curfew' as a token of protest.

Witnesses said streets were deserted and offices and markets shut down to observe the dawn-to-dusk strike in the city and several parts of the troubled state.

Tens of thousands of security personnel have been specially deployed to prevent violence by militants.

Authorities said soldiers shot dead two crossborder militants from Pakistan in Sambha, 50 kilometres south of Jammu, early on Wednesday.

"We recovered two pistols and explosives from the two who had infiltrated to disrupt the Republic Day celebrations," an army spokesman said.

Security was tight at the parade venue in Jammu's Maulana Azad sports stadium, where eight people were killed when a bomb went off during Republic Day celebrations in 1995.

On Tuesday, the police had seized a jeep painted in army colours in Srinagar. They said the vehicle was to be used by militants to penetrate security cordons and disrupt functions in the city. Four people were arrested.

A police spokesman said five bombs and explosives meant to be used during Wednesday's event were recovered in the northern town of Baramulla.

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