Kashmir under restrictions for 3rd day amid protests

Strict restrictions continued across parts of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir for the third straight day on Wednesday, following massive protests over the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Authorities shut educational institutions until Saturday and throttled mobile internet for the third day as a "precautionary measure."

Police have urged restraint and warned of strict action against those involved in violence or unlawful activities.

Heavy deployment of police and paramilitary personnel, along with barricades and concertina wire, was put in place, especially in Shia-majority areas and protest hotspots.

The iconic Ghanta Ghar at Lal Chowk in the capital, Srinagar, remained sealed after witnessing large protests on Sunday.

Public transport and businesses remained shut for the third day in the region.

The restrictions in the region follow mass protests as the US and Israel continue airstrikes on Iran launched on Feb. 28, killing its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and 786 others, including scores of school girls.

Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile attacks targeting US-linked sites in Gulf countries, causing multiple fatalities. Six US service members have been killed and many others injured.

The Indian government has expressed "anxiety" over the tensions in the Middle East, reiterating its call for dialogue and an early end to the conflict.

Case against lawmaker

Separately, police filed a case against National Conference lawmaker Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi and former Srinagar mayor Junaid Azim Mattu for allegedly spreading misleading content online.

Mehdi, who has represented Srinagar in the Indian Parliament since 2024, claimed his security detail was downgraded, according to a statement on the US-based social media company X.

Demanding "immediate" withdrawal of the FIR, former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti termed the case "unwarranted and unjust."

"Just because the GoI (Government of India) and the NC in Jammu and Kashmir have chosen to remain silent on the blatant aggression by US and Israel against Iran and the martyrdom of its Supreme Leader doesn't mean that those who speak out are offenders to be booked under the law," Mufti wrote on US social media company X.

Kashmiri religious leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, in a separate statement, said the "unity in grief and condemnation" over the events in Iran shown by the Muslims of Jammu and Kashmir "reflects the living moral conscience of our society, standing firmly against oppression and unwaveringly with the oppressed."

"Reports of protesters and mourners, including women and minors, being detained are unfortunate and unwarranted," Farooq said on X, demanding their release.