Srinagar: Tension escalated in the Kashmir Valley Tuesday with three people being killed and five injured when the army fired on a crowd defying curfew restrictions in the town of Bandipora.

According to police officials, the incident took place in the morning when troops fired at an unruly mob at Bandipora, 52 km from here, for curfew violation and for resorting to violence against security personnel.

People took out processions and shouted slogans in other places where too curfew was defied, including in Srinagar and other towns. Former minister and People's Democratic Party leader Javaid Mustafa Mir led a procession at Lasjan on the outskirts of the city. A senior police official here said Mir's personal security guard fired at a sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) who tried to break the procession.

On Monday evening, indefinite curfew had been imposed throughout the valley -- in the summer capital Srinagar and in the district headquarters of Baramulla, Bandipora, Kupwara, Ganderbal, Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian, Badgam and Kulgam. The army's assistance was sought to enforce the curfew at sensitive places like Baramulla and Bandipora.

This followed the death of the senior Hurriyat leader of the moderate Mirwaiz group, Sheikh Abdul Aziz, who was killed leading a huge march towards Muzaffarabad. Security forces had intercepted the marchers at Chahal, 25 km before the border town of Uri in Baramulla district.

Source : IANS