Two separatists held, one placed under house arrest

Two more separatist leaders were detained today in Kupwara and Srinagar districts, four days after Hurriyat conference chief was put under house arrest, as a precautionary measure on the eve of the Martyrs Day. The chairman of People's Conference and senior hurriyat leader, Bilal Gani Lone, was taken into custody at Handwara in Kupwara district, while president of Salvation Movement Zaffar Akbar Bhat was detained at Lal Nagar on the outskirts of the city, official sources said.
     
Another prominent hurriyat leader Ghulam Mohammad Hubbi was also placed under house arrest at his Chrar-e-Sharief residence in Budgam district, the sources said. The latest restrictions on the movement of separatist leaders were taken to scuttle their planned "Lal Chowk march" tomorrow, they said.
    
"We will not be cowed down by the restrictions. Inshallah; we will assemble at the martyr's graveyard at 11 AM and later take out a peaceful march to Lal Chowk as per the already announced schedule," chief spokesman of hurriyat Syed Saleem Geelani told PTI.
     
July 13 is observed in Kashmir as Martyrs Day to commemorate the martyrdom of 13 Kashmiris who fell to the bullets of the then maharaja's forces outside Srinagar Central jail on the day in 1931.