Shutdown hits life in Kashmir Valley

Srinagar, Sept 20: A protest shutdown called on Sunday by separatists against the murder of a four-year-old child and his former militant father impacted life here, with markets being shut and public transports going off roads.

Although it is a public holiday here, the weekly Sunday pavement market remained closed because of the shutdown.

Public transport also remained off the roads in Srinagar city and all other major towns and cities in the Kashmir valley.

Unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants had on Friday shot dead former militant Bashir Ahmad Bhat in Sagipora area of Kashmir's Sopore town.

While Bhat died on the spot, his son was critically injured in the firing incident and succumbed to injuries on Saturday.

The shutdown has been called by separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani.

Six mysterious killings have happened in Kashmir's Baramulla district in the past seven days.

On Monday, bodies of three youth riddled with bullets were recovered from an apple orchard in Dangerpora (Pattan).

On Friday, former militant Bhat and his son were killed by unidentified gunmen in Sopore and on Saturday, the bullet riddled body of Fayaz Ahmad, a militant commander of Hizbul Mujahideen, was found in Devbugh village near the Tangmarg town in Baramulla district.

Police said the three youth and the Hizbul commander were killed in internecine rivalry between the Hizbul and its breakaway faction, the Lashkar-e-Islam.

The Hizbul has blamed the security forces for all these killings.

IANS