Geelani put under house arrest, Yaseen and other detained in Kashmir

Srinagar, Feb 23 (UNI) Chairman of the breakaway Hurriyat Conference (HC) Syed Ali Shah Geelani was put under house arrest last night while Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Mohmmad Yaseen Malik and about a dozen others were taken into preventive custody.

Official sources said Mr Geelani, who had announced to visit Dodipora Handwara, where four youths were allegedy shot dead by the army during a cricket match yesterday, was put under house arrest.

They said a large number of police personnel were deployed near the Hyderpora residence of Mr Geelani to prevent him to move out.

A spokesman for the HC said a police officer informed Mr Geelani that he has been put under house arrest and he cannot move out of his house.

He said Mr Geelani was to visit the residence of four youths today to express sympathy and solidarity with them.

The HC spokesman said a team of HC leaders today left for Handwara from here. However, he said, the leaders, including Mohammad Ashraf Sahrahee, Ghulam Nabi Sumbji, Qazi Ahadullah and Khan Sopori, were detained by police at Parimpora.

A spokesman for the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front said Mr Malik along with other leaders today left Maisuma this morning for Handwara.

He said Mr Malik and other leaders were taken into custody by the police at Parimpora on the Sriangar-Handwara road.

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