Curfew clamped in all 10 districts of Kashmir

Srinagar, July 15 (IANS) Fearing large scale violence after Friday prayers, authorities clamped curfew in all the 10 districts of the Valley on friday.

To prevent the spread of passion-stoking rumours and posts on social media by anti-social elements, authorities have suspended all internet and mobile phone connectivity in the Valley.

For the last six days, mobile phone operations and internet connectivity had been suspended in South Kashmir districts of Anantnag, Shopian, Khugam and Pulwama.

But on Thursday all internet connectivity -- both on mobile phones and fixed line -- has been suspended in the entire Valley.

Official sources, however, said, limited mobile phone connectivity will continue on phones of one service provider in the Valley.

This has been done because all state government officials have been provided mobile phones of a particular company and their operations is important to coordinate the law and order maintenance during the day.

Meanwhile, curfew continued for the seventh day in the Valley on Friday.

So far, 36 persons, including 35 civilial protesters and a local policeman have died in clashes between security forces and unruly mobs those hit the roads after Hizbul commander Burhan Wani was killed with two of his associates in Bamdora village of Kukarnag area of Anantnag district on last Friday.

Mobs on Thursday torched the house in Bamdora village where Wani was killed by security forces. Eight other houses in the village were also torched by the mobs.

An orchard belonging to a local entrepreneur who had set up a Rs.5 crore dream project of high yielding apple trees in Bamdora village was also felled by the mobs.

The entrepreneur had been praised by the state Chief Minister Mahbooba Mufti on the floor of the state legislature during its recent session for trying to take Kashmir horticulture to new heights.

Sporadic clashes continued at over a dozen places on thursday when curfew defying stone-pelters engaged with security forces. No fresh incident of firing was reported from anywhere in the valley on Thursday.

All senior separatist leaders have been placed under prevented detention by police in Srinagar.

Additional paramilitary troops have been rushed by the centre to assess the state to come out of the ongoing cycle of violence that has deeply affected normal life in the state.