Authorities decided to impose indefinite curfew in parts of Srinagar city on Sunday morning in view of several incidents of arson and violence on Saturday, official sources said.

The decision to clamp curfew in the city was taken at a high-level meeting of civil and security forces officials at the Police Control Room in Srinagar on Saturday night, the sources said.

They said the curfew will be imposed in the five police station areas in downtown locality and Maisuma and Batamaloo police station areas in uptown from 5.00 AM Sunday to prevent further street protests.

Mobs in Srinagar city on Saturday went on a rampage, setting on fire several government buildings including the office of Power Development Department and Crime Branch headquarters. (DD-12.9)

Kashmir Situation: Mob attacks police barrack

A mob Saturday set on fire a police barrack and a vehicle of the police department outside the Harzratbal Shrine on the banks of the Dal Lake in Srinagar following which security forces opened fire.

Soon after Eid-ul-Fitr prayers, a group of people attacked the police barrack in the lawns of Hazratbal and set it on fire. They also set ablaze a police vehicle, official sources said.

Police opened fire to disperse the mob and prevent any further damage to public property, they said, adding there were no reports of anyone getting injured in the incident.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Umer Farooq called for an half-an-hour sit in protest in the heart of the city During his Eid sermon at Eidgah, where nearly two lakh people offered prayers, the Mirwaiz asked them to march to Lal Chowk to stage a 30-minute protest against the recent killing of people in Kashmir.

A police spokesman said activists of hardline faction of Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Muslim League disrupted Eid prayers at Hazaratbal and set afire the Auqaf building housing the policemen and a police vehicle.

“Timely and prompt action of the fire service and police stopped the fire from spreading. The mob was dispersed. However, the situation is tense,” the spokesman said.

The spokesman accused the Mirwaiz of aggravating the situation by “leading a procession to Lal Chowk, taking the advantage of the Eid congregation. He has vitiated the Eid celebration in Srinagar”.

The spokesman said the administration and police are exercising maximum restraint and have appealed to the people to cooperate with the administration.