SRINAGAR – Large parts of Indian Held Kashmir closed down Saturday toprotest a visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Muslim-majorityregion gripped by deadly new tensions and clashes with rival Pakistan.
Shops shut and the main streets of the main city, Srinagar, were emptyexcept for police and paramilitary patrols while authorities laid onmaximum security for Modi’s one-day visit.
Authorities cut mobile internet services in the region and imposed a curfewin parts of Srinigar.
Separatist groups opposed to Indian rule of Kashmir have called for astrike and a protest march to a city square. Main roads and the square werebarricaded by razor wire to stop anyone getting in.
“We are not taking any chances. We’ll do everything to keep the militantsat bay,” a top police officer told AFP on condition of anonymity.
Authorities also ordered schools, colleges and universities shut for theday apprehending student protests.
The main venue for the prime minister’s visit to Srinigar, the Dal Laketourist attraction, was made out of bounds to the public.
Modi started the tour in Leh, a remote high altitude desert area of thedisputed territory popular with trekkers.
“I thank the wonderful people of Leh for the warm welcome. I am delightedto be here,” Modi said on Twitter.
The visit came a day after eight civilians — four in India and fourin Pakistan — and an Indian soldier were killed in a heavy mortar fire andgunbattle between Indian and Pakistani forces.
Modi was to go to Srinagar and the other main city of Jammu later in theday to inaugurate a hydropower project near the border with Pakistan.
Pakistan controls part of the divided territory and like India claimsKashmir in full.
India has ordered its estimated 500,000 troops in Kashmir to suspendmilitary operations against rebels during the Ramadan holy month thatstarted Wednesday.
But on top of the border clash, fighting with militants has not halted.
Late Friday, Indian troops killed three suspected militants close to theheavily militarised unofficial border with Pakistan in the northwest of theterritory, media reports said.
Army officers, who were not named, were quoted as saying the militantsattacked a patrol in a forest sparking a firefight. The incident could notbe independently verified.
Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end ofBritish rule in 1947. Rebel groups have since 1989 been fighting for anindependent Kashmir or a merger with Pakistan.
Tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians, have died in the fighting. -APP/AFP