Life remained affected in the Valley for the 35th consecutive day; curfew extended to many areas to thwart a planned march by separatists.

The authorities on Friday snapped mobile telephony services, except the postpaid facility on state-run BSNL, in Kashmir as a precautionary measure.

“Mobile telephone services have been snapped in the entire Valley. Only postpaid connections of BSNL are working,” a police official said.

The services were snapped across the Valley at midnight to maintain law and order and to prevent rumour mongering, he said. Last Friday saw intense clashes between protesters and security forces at many places in the Valley after the congregational prayers. The clashes left three people dead and several hundreds injured.

Mobile telephony services, except BSNL postpaid, were first snapped in the Valley on July 15 following violence that broke out after the killing of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in an encounter in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district on July 8.

The authorities snapped mobile Internet facility in the entire Valley on July 9. Mobile Internet also continued to remain snapped for the 35th day today.

Curfew extended

Curfew was extended to many areas in Kashmir while severe restrictions were imposed in the rest of the Valley to thwart a march planned by separatists to Eidgah in old city.

“Curfew has been imposed in entire Srinagar district, Anantnag town, Shopian town, Baramulla town, Awantipora and Pampore towns of Pulwama district,” a police official said.

Curfew was also imposed in Ganderbal town, Budgam, Chadoora, Magam, Kunzer, Tangmarg and Pattan areas of the Valley as a precautionary measure.

As many as 55 persons, including two police personnel, were killed and several thousand others injured in the clashes between protesters and security forces so far.

Schools, colleges, business establishments, petrol pumps and private offices remained closed while public transport remained off the roads. Attendance in government offices and banks were also thin, the official said.