SRINAGAR: A day after 20 people, including four civilians, were killed in anti-terror operations in south Kashmir , many panic-stricken tourists fled Srinagar on Monday, even as the valley observed a complete shutdown called by the separatists.

Most of the tourists reached the airport early in the morning to escape attacks by stone-pelters who had targeted tourists in three places on Sunday night.

Late Sunday night, two buses carrying tourists from Indonesia were pelted with stones near Dal Lake . Prompt action by houseboat owners saved them. Two women tourists from Abu Dhabi suffered head injuries after being hit by stones thrown at their cab the airport on Sunday night. They were hospitalised. A mob attacked a tourist bus at Awantipora in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district and threw stones at it, injuring two women from UP.

Srinagar on the edge as 21 injured in fresh violence

The attack took place on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway around 9pm when more than 100 men pelted stones at the bus, which was taking tourists on a city tour. The two injured were taken to Sri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital in Srinagar. "The two injured women were discharged after being given first-aid. Their vehicle was damaged," a senior government official said.

In a major setback to the tourism sector in J&K ahead of the peak season, several hotels received a large number of cancellation calls from travel agents in Delhi, Mumbai and other cities on Monday. On March 27, J&K tourism minister Tassaduq Hussain Mufti had said the government would take all possible steps to ensure a steady flow of tourists in the state.

Srinagar was on the edge after violent protests erupted. At least 21 youths were injured in fresh violence amid call for shutdown by separatists.

Meanwhile, Kashmir University authorities were left red-faced after governor N N Vohra arrived at the 13th Science Conference in Srinagar on Monday, only to be met with students shouting pro-Azadi slogans.

