Shutdown affects life in Kashmir Valley

Srinagar : Life in Srinagar and other places of the valley was affected on Thursday by a separatist-called shutdown protesting miliatnt killing.

The Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) headed by Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Yasin Malik called for the valley-wide shutdown against the killings of two Kashmiri militants in the outskirts here in Jammu and Kashmir.

Sabzar Sofi, a Ph.D scholar who joined militancy in 2016 and his associate were killed in a gunfight in Nowgam on Wednesday.

Shops, public transport and other businesses remained shut in the city and other district headquarters of the valley and only private transport was seen in the uptown areas here.

Schools and colleges in Srinagar district remained suspended for the second day in a row.

Rail services between north Kashmir's Baramulla and Bannihal town of Jammu region was also suspended.

Heavy deployments of security forces were made in the old city areas and other sensitive places in the valley.

Geelani and Umer Farooq remained under house arrest for the third day while Malik continued in preventive custody to prevent their participation in the protests.