Shutdown in Kashmir following killing of three ‘Hizbul Mujahideen youth’

Hurriyat chairman Syed Ali Geelani termed these killings as a “cold blooded murder’’ and asked people to observe complete shut in the Valley.

Police and CRPF personnel patrol Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road at Palhallan pattan during the shutdown on Wednesday. Express Photo/Shuaib Masoodi

Kashmir is observing shutdown against the killing of three youths whose bullet ridden bodies were recovered from an orchard in North Kashmir’s Pattan area on Monday.

Shops in the city and rural townships remained closed on Wednesday and hardly any vehicles were plying on the roads. Police and paramilitary forces have been deployed at all sensitive locations across the Valley.

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On Srinagar – Baramulla national highway at Kanispora and Hygam some youth pelted stones at vehicles, following which police swung into action and dispersed those who were trying to block the traffic on the highway.

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Hizbul Mujahideen on Tuesday said three youth – Amir Rishi, Ashiq Wani and Naved Khan – were members of the outfit who were killed by the Special Operation Group of Police, and their agents, while in custody.

Both the factions of Hurriyat Conference and the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front had called for a Kashmir bandh against these killings.

Hurriyat chairman Syed Ali Geelani termed these killings as a “cold blooded murder’’ and asked people to observe complete shut in the Valley.

Jammu and Kashmir Police have said that the three had joined militant ranks after they went missing from their homes. However, police said that they were part of Lashkar-e-Islam, a breakaway group of Hizbul Mujahideen, led by Qayoom Najar.

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Hizbul Mujahideen has denied the existence of Lashkar-e-Islam and said that the government and its agencies were “trying to fool the people by portraying the killings as the fallout of a rivalry between the Hizbul and Lashkar-e-Islam”.

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Jammu and Kashmir