The skirmishes began as protesters, who were trying to march, butted up against police and paramilitary soldiers trying to disperse them. The demonstrators threw rocks, and the authorities fired warning shots and tear gas, said a police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity citing department policy.

Protests against Indian rule in the Himalayan region have grown increasingly strident in recent weeks, and government forces have been accused of killing at least 11 people in the demonstrations.

In response to the surge in unrest, authorities imposed the curfew in parts of Srinagar and other key towns on Wednesday. The measure was extended to most of Kashmir on Friday. Srinagar, the region’s main city where protests after Friday prayers are common, was locked down during the day.

Shops, businesses, schools and government offices have been shut. Authorities have postponed college examinations and blocked text messages on cell phones in an attempt to prevent demonstrators from gathering on the streets.

Police and paramilitary soldiers drove through neighborhoods and went to people’s homes warning them to stay indoors, said Bashir Bhat, a resident of Safakadal district in Srinagar. The Jamia Masjid, the city’s main mosque, was closed.

“The curfew and restrictions are in place to avoid any law-and-order situation,” said Farooq Ahmed, a senior police officer.

Separatist politicians had called for a rally at the Eidgah grounds in downtown Srinagar, but it did not take place. Instead, a few hundred people sporadically defied the order.

While anti-India demonstrations are frequent in the region, the latest street violence erupted after a police investigation in June found Indian army soldiers had killed three Kashmiri civilians in a staged gunbattle and then claimed their victims were militants to claim a reward. The army responded by suspending two officers.