For the first time in 13 years, the entire Kashmir Valley was under curfew today after escalating violence left another 12 people dead in firing by security forces. Among the dead was a local TV cameraman, Javaid Ahmed Mir, who died in police firing while covering the protests in Baghimehtab.

Defying curfew, thousands marched towards Srinagar city to attend the funeral of Hurriyat leader Sheikh Abdul Aziz who was among those killed in police firing yesterday — with two more persons succumbing to injuries, the death toll in police firing in the Valley in two days climbed to 19.

Separatist leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik were present at the funeral of Aziz. They later addressed the crowd, calling for “peaceful protests” until August 15 and a “complete blackout” on Independence Day.

On the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad highway, authorities barricaded the stretch ahead of Baramulla, felling trees to prevent people from heading towards the Line of Control — they were protesting the “economic blockade” of the Valley by those agitating in Jammu for transfer of land to the Amarnath shrine board.

In the Uri sector, securitymen stopped hundreds just two kilometres short of the Line of Control. Residents of the border villages of Nambla, Garcot, Silikote, Basgrain, Chrunda and Uri began marching towards Silikote, the closest point to get to the LoC. But security forces stopped the march near Sadpora.

Later, the protestors left for Salamabad to try and cross the LoC through Kaman but they were again stopped, this time in Uri town. Protestors threatened to snap power lines and even hurled stones at the residential quarters of the NHPC which manages the Uri power project.

... contd.