Separatists’ Anantnag march foiled; Geelani and Mirwaiz detained

Authorities on Monday foiled an attempt by separatists to march to Anantnag town from here by taking their leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq into custody even as protesters made a bid at over a dozen places across Kashmir to defy curfew. Curfew remained in force in the five districts of Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama, Shopian and Baramulla and 11 police station areas of the city as a preventive measure to thwart the separatists’ plans to take out the protest march.

A police official said there were attempts at over a dozen places across the Valley to defy curfew but law enforcing agencies chased the protesters away by resorting to baton charge and firing tear smoke shells.

Reports of brief clashes between security forces and protesters were received from Natipora in the city, Arwani, Bijbehara, Anchidora, Batengo, Achabal (in Anantnag), Opmora, Choon (in Budgam district) and Safapora in Ganderbal district, the official said.

While the official said there were no reports of anyone getting injured in the clashes, unconfirmed reports said at least a dozen protesters were hurt in the security forces’ action.