Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Dec 24: Normal life was affected in Kashmir valley today due to a shutdown called by separatists during which incidents of stone-pelting occurred at a few places in the city.
Majority of shops, business establishments and fuel stations were closed in Srinagar but private vehicles, auto-rickshaws and passenger cabs were plying normally on all routes. The public transport was, however, affected partially due to the strike and was visible in civil line areas only.
During shutdown, stone-throwing clashes erupted between youth protesters and security forces at Noorbagh and Nawa Kadal areas of downtown here. A police official said the forces fired few teargas shells towards stone-throwers and chased them away.
At Rekka Chowk in Batamaloo area here, groups of youth damaged Government and private vehicles for defying shutdown with stones. Later, security forces arrived in the area and fired teargas canisters to disperse the protesters but the latter pelted stones on forces personnel. However, no one was injured in these incidents.
The shutdown was also observed in other parts of the Valley but vehicles on inter-district routes were plying normally. Police said the situation by and large remained peaceful across the Valley and no major incident of violence was reported from anywhere.