Violent protests broke out in the old city areas of Srinagar on Wednesday against killing of a terrorist Sajid Ahmad gilkar along with two other operatives of the Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) outfit in an overnight encounter in the Radpug village of Budgam district in central Kashmir.

The authorities as a precautionary measure clamped curfew-like restrictions and switched off the mobile phone services to control the stone pelting mobs.

The three HM terrorists hiding in the house of Ramzan Dar were killed in a joint operation that was launched Tuesday evening by the Army, CRPF, special operation group of the police and the district police in the village. The terrorists fired at the security forces when they were cordoning the village thereafter an encounter began which ended this morning when the Army announced killing of the three ultras.

Two AK-47 assault rifles and a self loading rifle have been recovered from the spot.

The security forces detected these terrorists while hunting for the ultras who had killed seven Amarnath pilgrims on Monday.

Security forces were rushed in strength as violence broke out in Srinagar and tension escalated after killing of the three terrorists.

Violent mobs took to streets in Srinagar and Budgam districts and a large number of people participated in the funeral of the slain terrorist.

The long-stretched encounter exhausted the terrorists but the troops stopped the operation at night to avoid collateral damage. The terrorists were shot dead when they sprayed bullets at the security forces and made an attempt to break the cordon. The two other killed terrorists have been identified as Javed Sheikh of Churpora Narbal and Dawood of Mustafabad.

The authorities are expected to clamp curfew in the Kashmir valley this evening to thwart attempts of creating violence on Thursday in view of the Kashmir Martyrs’ Day when the separatists have given the call for shutdown and rallies to mark the occasion. July 13 is observed as Martyrs Day in Kashmir to mark death of 22 persons in police firing in 1931 when a mob allegedly tried to attack the central jail in Srinagar.