Srinagar: Protests erupted at various places following the death of top Hizb ul Mujahideen commander, Sabzar Ahmad Bhat, in a firefight with forces in Tral on Saturday.
Sabzar, along with a teenaged youth Faizan Ahmad, died in the encounter which started in Saimoo village of Tral town in Pulwama district today.
Sabzar was considered to be right hand man of Burhan Muzaffar Wani. Wani, a popular Hizb ul Mujahideen commander, was killed by forces in Bemdoora area of Anantnag district on July 08, 2016 triggering months-long anti-India uprising in Kashmir.
A local youth from Pulwama told the FreePressKashmir over phone that hundreds of students from Government Degree College Pulwama are marching towards main town Pulwama in protest against the killing of militant commander Sabzar.
“Students are raising anti-India, pro-militant and pro-freedom slogans but yet it is peaceful,” he said wishing anonymity.
The youth added that main Chowk Pulwama witnessed stone pelting this morning but situation returned to calm after deployment of huge number of forces.
In Anantnag, locals said that students of Government Degree College held anti-India protests. However, police said that the students resorted to stone pelting from inside the campus. “They tried to disrupt movement of transport but it was not allowed,” a cop said.
The protests have spread to Khanabal, Pampore, Tral and Kakapora areas. Media reports quoting local sources said that shopkeepers have pulled down their shutters in Bijbehara town.
Schools have been closed in most parts of Pulwama, Kulgam and Anantnag.
