Separatist-sponsored strike after Kulgam blast disrupts normal life in Kashmir
Normal life was once again disrupted in the Kashmir Valley Monday due to a strike called by separatists over the death of seven civilians in a blast at an encounter site in Kulgam district. The strike was called by separatists Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and Mohammad Yasin Malik under the banner of Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL). Here are the details.
Reports of shutdown from other districts received as well: Officials
Shops, private offices, fuel stations, and other business establishments were shut in Kashmir, officials said. Public transport was off the roads while private cars were seen plying in few areas of Srinagar. The strike also affected attendance in government offices and banks, they said. The officials said reports of the shutdown were received from other district headquarters of the valley as well.
Three militants and seven civilians were killed on Sunday
About three militants were killed on Sunday in the encounter, while seven civilians lost their lives in a blast following the gunfight in Laroo of Kulgam district of South Kashmir. Officials said that while there were no restrictions anywhere in Srinagar, there was a heavy deployment of security forces at several places in Srinagar as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order.
Many Kashmiri organizations supporting the strike called by the separatists
The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), a Kashmiri Pandit organization Kashmiri Pandit Sangarash Samiti (KPSS) - and All Kashmir Auto-Rickshaw Drivers Association have extended their support to the strike called by the separatists. Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE) and Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) have postponed examinations that were scheduled for Monday.
