State Times News
Srinagar: The authorities on Monday decided to keep schools and other educational institutions closed on Tuesday even as the separatists extended the strike by one day over the killings of 13 terrorists and four civilians in three separate encounters in the Kashmir valley.
Officials of the Education Department said the schools will remain closed tomorrow as a precautionary measure to avoid any law and order problem.
They said a decision on re-opening of schools will be taken after assessing the situation tomorrow.
The separatists, under the banner of joint resistance leadership (JRL), extended the strike in Kashmir by another day.
Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik said the protest shut down will continue on Tuesday and Wednesday (4 April), a spokesman of the JRL said.
A march has been called to move towards Shopian, the spokesman of the separatist group said.
During the day, police foiled a traders protest march to the local office of the United Nations here against the killing of four civilians in the counter-terrorism operations.
A group of traders under the banner of Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation (KTMF), led by its president Yasin Khan, took out a protest march from Lal Chowk city centre here to protest the killings which took place in the three encounters in south Kashmir on Sunday, officials said.
They said the traders tried to march to the office of United Nations Military Observor Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) at Sonwar here but were stopped by the police near Regal Chowk.
The police asked the protesting traders to disperse, but they tried to march ahead, an official said, adding that it led to police swung into action and detain several leaders, including Khan.
The detained leaders were taken to Kothi Bagh police station, they said.
