Amarnath yatra cancelled as Ramban firing toll rises to 6

Fresh protests rocked several areas of Jammu & Kashmir today as the death toll in the Ramban firing incident climbed to six.

A shutdown was called by Muslim outfits in several areas like Bhaderwah, Banihal, Thathri, Kishtwar, Gool, Doda, Sangaldan to protest against the incident.

The government on its part has imposed a curfew in Srinagar and other major towns of the valley from this morning. Internet and mobile phone services have also been suspended.

Traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway remained closed for the second consecutive day. The highway has been closed for vehicular traffic as a precautionary measure, a spokesman of the Traffic department said.

The annual Amarnath Yatra has also been halted in view of the tension in the state. Nearly a thousand pilgrims are stuck in Jammu awaiting further developments.

Additional forces were deployed in sensitive areas today after four persons were reported killed and 44 others, including security personnel, injured in stone-pelting and resultant firing when a mob attacked a Border Security Force camp in Ramban district over alleged high-handedness by a BSF team.

The people were protesting the alleged desecration of a mosque and beating up of an Imam, claimed by some to have been some BSF personnel.

Ten of the injured, five of them critical with bullet injuries, were airlifted by helicopters to hospitals in Jammu city for treatment, police said.

"The situation is under control - it is peaceful, but there have been protests in some areas," Inspector General of Police (IGP) Jammu Zone, Rajesh Kumar said.

As many as 42 injured people are getting treatment in GMC hospital, Ramban district hospital and Srinagar hospital.

Protests rocked Bhaderwah, Banihal, Thathri, Kishtwar, Gool, Doda, Sangaldan areas of Jammu region on Thursday amid raising of anti-India slogans and burning of tyres, police said.

The death toll from the BSF firing rose to six today as two more people succumbed to their injuries on Friday.

Officials said authorities are monitoring the situation and a decision to allow traffic on the highway - the only road linking Kashmir with rest of the country - will depend on the emerging law and order situation.