SRINAGAR: Senior separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz UmerFarooq tried to defy house arrest restrictions on Wednesday in a bid tomarch to Shopian town in occupied Jammu and Kashmir but were detained bypolice.

Geelani tried to come out of his uptown Hyderpora residence but policemenposted outside prevented him from doing so.

Geelani was placed under house arrest on Monday after 20 people, including13 militants, three soldiers and four civilians, were killed in three gunbattles in south Kashmir.

Mirwaiz Farooq, however, came out of his Nigeen residence defying housearrest restrictions to move towards Shopian town.

Police immediately took him to a nearby police station.

Separatists have called for a march to Shopian town on Wednesday to showsolidarity with the people of the district who allege high-handedness bysecurity forces.