SRINAGAR: Thousands of Indian police and troops enforced a lockdown on Wednesday in parts of India-held Kashmir, fearing violent reprisals a day after a top militant commander and two civilians were killed in clashes in the disputed Himalayan territory.

Residents in the old quarters of Srinagar were ordered to stay indoors and obey the curfew as government forces patrolled streets lined with steel barriers and razor wire.

“I was not allowed by soldiers to leave home for work. They are right outside my door,” Gulzar Ahmed, a mechanic, said by phone from his house in downtown Srinagar.

Authorities clamped a curfew in the old parts of Srinagar in anticipation of more protests and also blocked internet services to stop activists from using social media to rally support against Indian rule.

Shops and banks also remained shut after three top Kashmiri leaders called for a strike following the death of Abu Dujana, a senior commander from the militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

His death, described by Indian forces as “a major achievement”, sparked protests and clashes with government forces across the held Valley during which a young man was killed and scores injured.

A second protester died in hospital on Wednesday. His funeral was attended by hundreds of mourners who pelted Indian soldiers with stones and chanted slogans calling for independence, witnesses said.

Published in Dawn, August 3rd, 2017