Three government school buildings in separate parts of the Kashmir Valley have been set ablaze in the past 24 hours, PTI reported on Tuesday. The fires at the schools in the Noor Bagh area of Srinagar, Aishmuqam in Anantnag district and Sadrukote Bala in Bandipora district were set off by unknown persons, according to the police.
Officials said that security patrols around educational institutions in the Valley had been stepped up after the fires. News of the incidents come as the state government prepares to go ahead with board examinations in Kashmir next month. Around 15 schools in the state have been set on fire in the past three months, causing major damage to the region's academic infrastructure, according to ANI.
Educational institutions in the Valley have remained closed since July, following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani. A student body, the Jamiat-e-Talaba, has asked state authorities to "create a conducive atmosphere" before holding annual examinations in the region. While curfew imposed after Wani’s killing has been lifted, normal life in the region continues to be affected because of the separatist-sponsored shutdown and militant attacks.
More than 90 people have been killed in unrest in the Valley following Wani’s killing. Hundreds have sustained grievous injuries during protests in the past three months. The situation in the state has also led to a deterioration in relations between India and Pakistan.
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