Photos: Kashmir under curfew ahead of 'black day' anniversary

A "full curfew" means people can only move around with an official pass

Last updated: August 04, 2020 | 11:36

AFP and compiled by Balaram Menon, Senior Web Editor

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Thousands of Indian troops imposed a curfew in Kashmir on Tuesday, with razor wire and steel barricades blocking main roads a day ahead of the one-year anniversary of the restive region being stripped of its autonomy.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi imposed direct rule last August 5, promising peace and prosperity after three decades of violence that have seen tens of thousands of people killed in an anti-India uprising.

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Officials announced a two-day "full curfew" on Monday citing intelligence reports of looming protests in the Muslim-majority region of seven million people, where locals have called for the anniversary to be marked as a "black day".

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Police vehicles patrolled the main city Srinagar after dark on Monday and again on Tuesday morning, with officers using megaphones to order residents to remain indoors.

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A "full curfew" means people can only move around with an official pass, usually reserved for essential services such as police and ambulances.

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The Himalayan region is already subject to restrictions to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, with most economic activities limited and public movement curtailed.

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On Monday morning, new razor-wire and steel barricades were placed on main roads on Srinagar, and on Tuesday thousands of government troops fanned across the city and surrounding villages.

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"Police in vehicles moved through our locality and from loudspeakers ordered us to stay indoors for two days - as if we were not already caged," said Imriyaz Ali, who lives in the Srinagar old town.

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"I saw mobile phones of two of my neighbours taken away by soldiers when they got out to buy bread from a local baker early in the morning," said one villager by phone from Nazneenpora village.

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Police stand guard at a checkpoint during a curfew in Srinagar.

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A paramilitary soldier patrols near a checkpoint during a curfew in Srinagar.

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Paramilitary soldiers patrol along a street during a curfew in Srinagar.

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A paramilitary soldier stands guard at a checkpoint during a curfew in Srinagar

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A paramilitary soldier stands guard at a checkpoint during a curfew in Srinagar.

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