Several parts of Srinagar continued to remain under curfew on Wednesday, as authorities imposed fresh restrictions as a "precautionary measure" on the tenth day of Muharram, PTI reported. A unnamed police official said curbs have been imposed on Nowhatta, Khanyar, Rainawari, Safakadal and Maharaj Gunj to maintain law and order, the news agency reported. Daily life remained affected for the 96th consecutive day in the Valley.
Restrictions have also been imposed in Soura, Lal Bazar, Zadibal and Nigeen. On the tenth day of the month of Muharram, Muslims mourn the death of Hussein ibn Ali, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad. According to PTI, the traditional Muharram procession that use to pass through these areas was stopped in the 1990s, when militants targeted the Valley. Officials alleged that separatists used the religious event as a platform to discuss their political ambitions.
The Kashmir Valley has been tense since July 8, when Indian forces killed Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani. More than 90 people have died in the unrest, and relations between India and Pakistan have deteriorated. The violence has been made worse by the attacks in Kashmir’s Uri on September 18, in which four militants from across the border left 19 Indian soldiers dead.
Meanwhile, two militants have been killed as the encounter that started on Monday morning in Kashmir’s Pampore, Srinagar-Jammu national highway, entered its third day. Security personnel are battling militants that targeted a government building in the area.
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