A complete shutdown was observed India-held Kashmir on Wednesday against the brutal killing of four youth by Indian troops in Chadoora tehsil of Budgam district.

Three civilians were killed in anti-India protests that erupted on Tuesday following a gun battle between suspected militants and government forces in which an alleged militant was killed.

The gun battle began after police and soldiers cordoned off the southern town of Chadoora following a tip-off that at least one militant was hiding in a house.

As the fighting raged, hundreds of residents chanting anti-India slogans marched near the area apparently in an attempt to help the trapped militant escape.

Over thirty people had sustained injuries in the troops' firing on the protesters.

The call for the shutdown was made by the joint resistance leadership comprising Syed Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik.

All shops, schools, petrol pumps and offices were closed while traffic was off the road.

The leadership has also called for valley-wide protest demonstrations on Friday.

Meanwhile, the authorities have imposed curfew-like restrictions in old city of Srinagar to stop people from staging anti-India demonstrations over the killings.

The authorities also continue to put Hurriyet leaders including Syed Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Shabbir Ahmed Shah, Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai, Aasiya Andrabi, Nayeem Ahmed Khan, Mukhtar Ahmed Waza, Zafar Akbar Butt, Ayaz Muhammad Akbar, Raja Merajuddin Kalwal and Umar Aadil Dar under house arrest or behind the bars to stop them from leading the demonstrations.

The Kashmir University, Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) and Central University of Kashmir (CUK) have postponed all examinations scheduled for today in view of the strike.