Hurriyat’s strike call hits normal life in Valley

The strike call given by hardline Hurriyat Conference against the gunning down of three Hizbul Mujahideen militants, hit normal life in the Valley on Tuesday, even as sporadic clashes broke out between the protesters and law enforcing agencies.

A group of youth indulged in stone-pelting at several places in Bijbehara area in Anantnag district, thus forcing the authorities to divert traffic on Srinagar-Jammu national highway through Kulgam and also suspend rail services between Banihal and Srinagar as a precautionary measure, the officials said. "The traffic on Srinagar-Jammu national highway was going on smoothly. Due to law and order problems in the highway township of Bijbehara, the traffic was diverted through Kulgam," a traffic spokesman said.

The Railways announced suspension of rail traffic between Banihal to Srinagar as a precautionary measure.

"The rail traffic was suspended this morning on the directions of the police authorities due to law and order problem in Anantnag district," a railway official said. The officials said that the protesters turned violent shortly after the burial of the three militants, all residents of Bijbehara - the home town of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.