Separatist leader and JKLF chief Yasin Malik has been arrested from his Maisuma residence in Jammu and Kashmir by the state's police.

The arrest, which took place on Thursday morning, was to prevent him from leading protests in the valley.

A call had been issued by Malik along with fellow separatists Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq for a shutdown in the valley on account of deaths of civilians and the murder of Rising Kashmir chief editor Shujaat Bukhari and such a shutdown is being observed, Republic TV has learnt.

Malik, however, will not be able to join in the protests and foment any ensuing trouble as he has been lodged in a local police station.

On Wednesday, Malik, along with Geelani and Mirwaiz had written to the United Nations over the recent 'first-ever' human rights report on Kashmir. The trio had labelled themselves as "the leaders of the people of Kashmir" and said many of the same things that Pakistan had in its own response in the matter. India, however, has slammed the report as motivated and fallacious, and has stated that it lends legitimacy to terrorism on account of its shocking and benign nomenclature for Pakistan-based terrorist outfits.

Meanwhile, following the Governor and his advisors taking charge in the state after the fall of the Mehbooba Mufti-led government, and after the end of the Ramzan ceasefire, Army Chief COAS General Bipin Rawat confirmed that the security forces would resume their anti-terror operations in the state.

Update: Separatist Hilal War, chief of the PPP, has also been arrested and placed under house detention for similar reasons.