Spontaneous strike cripples business, other activities in parts of Srinagar

Srinagar, Mar 12 : Business and other activities came to a grinding halt in Lal Chowk, nerve center of the summer capital, Srinagar, and adjoining areas due to a spontaneous strike against killing of three militants in an encounter with security forces in south Kashmir.

Even though there was no strike call by any separatist organisation, shops and business establishments were closed in Lal Chowk, Budshah Chowk, Regal Chowk, Maisuma, Hari Singh High Street (HSHS), Moulana Azad Road and Residency Road.

However, vehicles were plying normally in Srinagar’s civil lines and uptown areas, where business and other activities were partially affected due to the strike.

Meanwhile, curfew-like restrictions have been imposed on Monday in the Shehar-e-Khas (SeK), downtown and parts of old city and civil lines in Srinagar as precautionary measure to prevent any law and order problem.

Three militants, including two locals -- Eesa Fazli, a resident of Srinagar and Syed Owais of Kokernag in Anantnag -- were killed in an encounter with security forces in village Hakoora in Anantnag in the wee hours on Monday, triggering massive protests in many places in the valley, where mobile internet and train services were suspended for security reasons.