While an army ambulance was torched by a mob at Palhalan, 27 kms from here on Srinagar-Baramulla National Highway, police used teargas shells and batons to chase away stone-pelting protesters at Maisuma in the heart of Srinagar where pitched battles continued for several hours but no one was hurt.

The Army ambulance which had met with an accident and turned turtle while on its way to Baramulla was set ablaze by the protesters at Palhalan. However, the occupants of the vehicle escaped unhurt.

The protesters also blocked the Srinagar-Baramulla National highway. Peaceful demonstrations were held at nearly a dozen places in the city, Khannabal in Anantnag and district headquarters of Kulgam, Pulwama, Bandipora and Kupwara.

A government spokesman said a case of murder has been registered against the CRPF personnel, who had allegedly opened fire at Khanpora-Baramulla last evening leaving a youth identified as Fayaz Ahmad Gojri dead. CRPF authorities have been asked to handover the personnel to Baramulla police.

He said it has also been decided to replace CRPF deployments in Baramulla with Jammu and Kashmir Police.

"The state police has to remain in the forefront at all respective locations brought under curfew with back-up of Army in standby mode for flag march and patrolling under the supervision of respective executive magistrates," he said.

In rest of the Valley, educational institutions, banks and courts remained closed while skeletal transport was plying on some routes following the three-day strike called by hardline faction of Hurriyat against Baramulla incidents and alleged rape and murder of two women in Shopian.