Indian Kashmir under curfew as strike called to remember executed separatist leaders

SRINAGAR, India – Thousands of Indian troops have fanned out across Indian-controlled Kashmir as separatists have called for a strike to mark the execution anniversaries of two separatists in New Delhi.

Many parts of the Himalayan region are under curfew Sunday, with major roads blocked by razor wire and barricades. Inspector General Abdul Gani Mir says the restrictions are meant to prevent anti-India protests and possible violence.

Kashmiri separatists, who demand an end to Indian rule in the region, were incensed when Mohammed Afzal Guru was secretly hanged Feb. 9 last year in a New Delhi for involvement in a 2001 Parliament attack that killed 14 people, including five gunmen.

In 1984, Mohammed Maqbool Butt, who founded a pro-independence group in Kashmir, was hanged after being convicted of killing an intelligence officer.